The Ice Behind Bars
by Lany19
Summary: After the ballroom accident the king and queen had to take Anna's entire memory away. On their way back an ambush occurred, leading to the disappearance of the queen and the kidnap of Anna, who is later raised by thieves. The claimed-to-be fair king releases his rage out on Elsa by abuse and torture. 15 years later Anna is sent on a mission only to discover a horrifying truth: Elsa
1. Prologue

The Ice Behind Bars

Prologue

_Our eyes deceive us from uncovering a lie, to protect us from its horrifying truth._

And that was once said in the fair Kingdom of Arendelle and its fair, kind and _merciful_ ruler King Jamie Of Arendelle and his beloved wife Queen Aphrodite Of Arendelle whom loyal love has blessed them with two daughters, Princess Elsa and Anna Of Arendelle. Although citizens were expecting a prince. To their disappointment, the first born princess was announced sickly and weak. Three years later, Princess Anna was born. People heard many rumors about the king's disappointment. Of course a son was preferable for the kingdom and their healthy queen was still capable to conceive other children. That's what they hoped. Without a warning, they were surprised at the king's decision to close the castle gates. Of course everyone said that it was for the princesses' protection. But there was more to this that met the eye.

One cold night, the citizens were summoned by the king to the courtyard. Every villager was present; Man, woman and child. The announcement of the kidnap of Princess Anna and the disappearance of Queen Aphrodite threw waves of shock and stress to Arendelle. The sound of cries and murmurs rang in the king's ears like bells. No one knew what happened, no one knew why the king wouldn't say where they were when the ambush occurred, no one knew why Princess Elsa wasn't there with the king at the announcement. No_ one knew_. Some secrets were safer kept hidden. Since that moment, everything changed.

Everything.

From that day, the citizens of Arendelle were plagued with screams at night. The screams and cries that came from behind those grand castle gates, the screams that woke terrified children at night , the screams that gave the people of Arendelle nightmares, the screams that grew louder and much more often through the years and the screams that gave shivers to their spines. Some said they were ghosts, other said they were prisoners that were receiving what they deserved, and few said in silence-keeping their opinion to themselves- that those were the screams of the sickly princess that was receiving her medical treatment. Thirteen years have passed and few had the courage to _think_ that beyond those great gates, hid a greater secret.

While the king still grieved over his deceased wife and hoped to find his daughter, the kingdom lost hope for an heir, oblivious to the increasing amount of thefts throughout other kingdoms. Many have reported amount of successful thefts that amazingly kept increasing throughout the passing years. Rumor had it that there was even a Thieves Guild, where thieves likely called Home. It's where they slept, ate and drank. Nevertheless, the other rulers were desperately trying to stop them.


	2. The Accident

**Please note that the grammar and proofreading in the first few chaps SUCKS and it improves greatly later on but the problem now is that i don't have time to correct all the chaps so please bear in the first few chaps.**

**Enjoy!**

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The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter I : The Accident

The beautiful aurora lights were shining brightly above the kingdom of Arendelle. In the tremendous dark sky, the aurora lights were dancing on silent lullabies next to sprinkles of white shining shyly around the moon. A four years old, strawberry-blond pigtails haired bundle of joy with beautiful fair skin and light freckles that dusted her rosy chubby baby cheeks was sitting on a mattress right below the bedroom window. Her big, wide and curious blue-grey eyes gazed at the strange lights with awe. A radiant, lips apart and toothy smile appeared on her face. She turned from the window to look around the room, and her eyes landed on a small figure that was sleeping in a big blue bed. "Elsa!" She whispered while she got down from the mattress and ran towards her sister's bed. She climbed the bed and shook her sister to wake her up. "Elsa, look look look! There are ghosts in the sky!"

A six years old girl with platinum hair that looked almost white under the bright moonlight and light freckles barely visible under her pale skinned cheeks, opened her sleepy eyes tiredly and slowly and revealed azure blue eyes that almost looked cyan. "Anna, I'm tireeed! I wanna sleep." Elsa groaned before she closed her eyes again.

"Elsaaaaaa!" Anna whined at her sister before she started bouncing on her. "You have to see this!"

"Uughh! Fine." Elsa opened her eyes again and lifted herself in a sitting position "What is it?" She said while she rubbed her left eye with her left hand.

Anna quickly grabbed Elsa's right arm. "Come on come on come on!" She pulled her sister from her right hand , off the bed and towards the window. "Look!" She said while she pointed at the _strange lights_that were dancing in the black sky.

Elsa giggled at her sister's imagination. "Anna, those are not ghosts!... Hehe… Those are Aurora lights!" Her mother, Queen Aphrodite of Arendelle, once told her about what those _strange lights_ were, when she was only three years old.

"Aulola lights?!" Anna asked curiously.

"Aurora, Anna …Au…rrrrooo…rraa!" She said before she laughed at her sister. "Mommy said that they only appear when all the people of Arendelle are happy! So it means Papa is a good king. And these lights carry our dreams!" She said enthusiastically.

"Waaawww!" Anna gazed at the lights before an idea popped into her mind. She suddenly gasped as an idea clicked in her mind.

Elsa quickly looked at her sister in wonder. "What?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

Anna leaned forward to Elsa's ear and whispered, "Do you wanna build a snowman?!"

Elsa's eyes widened. "I… I don't know Anna , papa will be angry if we did!"

_Or worse. _She thought.

"Ahh come on Elsaaa! He only gets angwy-"

"Angry." Elsa corrected

"-Angry… Only if we do something wrong… Besides, he is sleeping!" Anna reasoned before she started pulling her sister's sleeve, "Pleaseeeee?"

"I don't know Anna, that's the point… He... He hates my magic. And what if he... You know... Hurt us or something." _Again_

"Elsa, come on! He only did it once when you froze his crown-"

"Accidentally." Elsa reminded.

"Yeah but… He apologized the next day, right? If anything happens, Mama will hide us in her secret spot, remember!? Then, when he's no longer angry, we'll come out!" Anna said.

_Mama always tries to hide me from him. _Elsa thought.

"Anna… He always gets-" _harsher _"-angrier at me than you." Elsa argued.

"Pleaseeeeeeeeee?!"

Elsa sighed. "Fine..."

"Yeayyy!" Anna yelled right before her sister's hand came to her mouth and covered it so she doesn't wake-

_him_

"Keep it down, remember? But i'm telling you, if we get caught, I'm blaming you." Elsa whispered and Anna nodded then crossed her heart with her tiny finger.

"Okidoki!" Anna

"Well what are you waiting for? C'mon!" Elsa pulled her sister and they ran out of their room.

They looked around and made sure the coast was clear then at each other.

"To the Ballroom!" Anna whispered while her index finger was held up high, claimed victory and resulted in a silent giggling Elsa.

They bursted inside the ballroom. Anna first, Elsa next who then closed the door behind them.

"Magic magic magic!" Anna shouted excitedly who is no longer in the _sneak out_ game.

"Okay! Are you ready!?" Elsa replied while she conjured a snowball in her hand. Tiny blue flurries hovering around the already floating snowball between her hands.

Anna nodded quickly, an excited look on her face and readied herself for what was coming.

Elsa threw her hands in the air and the snowball flew to the ceiling before it exploded. The results was a small slow snowfall. Both sisters held their hand in the air and tried to catch the snowflakes.

"Watch this! I learned to do it yesterday when Papa wasn't here." Elsa said, and before Anna could reply, Elsa tapped her foot on the ballroom floor and suddenly, ice started to cover the ballroom floor. Anna gasped as she looked at the now-smooth icy floor that almost looked as if it was covered with a huge blue well-ironed satin sheet. The two girls played around the icy wonderland, and Elsa can only hope that the summer heat would thaw the room before anyone wakes up tomorrow morning.

Elsa happily built a snowman with her bare hands using the piles of snow around. "Look!" Elsa called.

"Awhhh! He is so cuuuute! What's his name?" Anna asked.

"Hello! my name is Olaf, and I love warm hugs!"

"I like him." Anna said with a smile.

Elsa laughed before both girls hugged the snowman together, in which after that, Anna shivered, but unlike Elsa, she was completely comfortable.

_The cold never bothered me. Poor Anna._

An hour have passed and Anna started to get bored, so she started to do some stunts around the snow. As their laughter of glee grew louder, both became oblivious to the waking of both the king and queen, their father and mother.

"Elsa, Elsa catch me!" Anna called happily.

"Hang on!... Here ya go!" Elsa conjured a snow cliff for her sister to land on.

Anna kept bouncing from one cliff to the other, faster, higher. Elsa started to realize that her sister was going too fast.

"Hey! Slow down!"

Then suddenly the king and queen burst inside the room. "Elsa, what are you doing!?" Yelled the angry king.

Elsa gasped in shock and terror. An expression of fear splashed on her face as she darted her eyes from the king's furious expression and her mother's concerned one. _Oh no! _Elsa was too startled by her parents' sudden presence and forgot about her sister who was still bouncing. When the king started to walk towards her, she knew what was coming next. _No, please! _She thought, frightened, as she held her hands up defensively. She suddenly heard Anna shouted another "Woooooooo!" excitedly. As soon as Anna jumped, Elsa realized that she didn't conjure a cliff for her to land on. She forgot about her father and turned to try and save Anna before she could collapse to the ground and hurt herself. She was too confused and scared to think about what to do. _Help Anna or hide from Papa?_ As she was trying quickly to decide, her father yelled "Come here you!". Elsa's eyes started darting from Anna to her father. _Anna papa Anna papa... Anna or hide... Anna and get hurt... _"Elsa!" Her mother called utterly worried._ Anna papa Anna papa AnnapapaAnnapapaAnnapapa!_ Her horrified eyes darted from Anna to her father incredibly fast and didn't witness that her mother was running towards her to protect her. Her mind already deceived her clumsy legs, "ANNA!" She yelled, but before she could react, she slipped and landed on her back side and didn't notice that ice shot out of her _left _hand and hit Anna's head.

"NO!" Her mother shrieked.

Elsa quickly got up to her feet and started running towards Anna's motionless body. Her worry for her sister have blinded her to see that her father was very, very close in grabbing her. "Anna!" She cried for her sister.

_Oh no! Please no!_

Just when she was about to kneel next to her sister, the king grabbed her from her arm harshly and pushed her roughly out of his way so he could examine Anna while it resulted in a falling Elsa. Her mother ran to her and helped her up, both fear splattered on their face._ Mama, please help Anna!... Help me!_ She tugged herself to her mother's cloak and hid her face from shame. But what came after that made her shiver in fear.

"What have you done!" Yelled the king.

"I'm sorry I-i-i'm sorry I'm sorry, I d-didn't mean to-... I was trying to h-h-help her. I'm s- sorry Papa!" As she tried to say the words through her sobs, she hid behind her mother and closed her eyes while she waited desperately,helplessly in terror. For her father was about to _hurt_ her.

Aphrodite tried to hide Elsa behind her and tried to reason with her raged husband. "Please Jamie, it was just-" Before she could continue, the king pushed his wife away roughly and she landed on the icy floor. His eyes full with rage and hatred "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" He yelled again louder. Aphrodite couldn't believe what she saw. His voice was so loud, so thunderous, that she couldn't concentrate on what he had said, only the tone in which he had said it. He had become a whole different person. His shiny, grey eyes had twisted into a dark and gloomy black. His eyes narrowed and his teeth clenched together. His hands fist in rage. He was about to hit her daughter with full strength. _He is not going to hit her, he is going to kill her!_ She thought as she quickly got up and ran towards him then stopped herself half way.

"Papa, I'm sorry! Please p-please sorry, sorry, sorry!" cried Elsa desperately. Her eyes still were closed, her hands clutched to her chest, she was breathing fast, too fast and a shiver struck her from her neck and all the way down her spine. She bit her lip hard enough that a small amount of blood appeared. _Please..._

None of them noticed the ice that started haunting the walls of the ballroom and the spikes that grew out from the corners and pointed at her father. The room's temperature dropped dramatically fast.

_Here it comes... I'm sorry Anna._

Just when He held his fist up, before it came with full strength and speed towards the little crying, helpless six year old girl, the king's hand was yanked with the queen's sharp pointed crown. The king yelped in pain, and held his fist with his other hand while he looked around for the attacker. His rage started to disappear to oblivion when his eyes landed on his wife. He saw something he never saw before. Her face was so unnaturally neutral and her back as straight as an arrow. She looked so rigidly and emotionless at him, yet he can still see a glimpse of fear in her green eyes. He then looked back at his injured and bleeding hand.

"Jamie..." Aphrodite said coldly. But before she knew it, her face dropped from glazed to horrified. _What have I done?_ She ran towards her husband and stood between him and Elsa. She had to convince him to spare Elsa. She had to save Anna. She had to wake him up. "Jamie, w-we have to save Anna now! Do you remember the t-troll! He can help. He can save her before it's too late- Look at me!" She didn't mention Elsa cause she knew it would have only resulted in the reappearing of his demon.

Elsa fell to her knees and cried her heart out. Out of grief for her sister? Out of happiness for her mother's action to save her? Out of fear from her father? She didn't know, she just wanted to cry.

Aphrodite sneaked a peak at his hand. It was barely bleeding. Her crown's sharp edges only resulted in a scratch. A scratch that saved her daughter's life. And boy how much she wished for more than a scratch.

The king lifted his head, and his wide-eyed, confused face met his wife's concerned one. He then snapped out of it and stood straight in front of his wife. Luckily, he barely saw Elsa, but he gave her a disgusted and angered look, then looked back at his wife and nodded. Aphrodite let out a huge sigh of relief, and then both her and her husband ran towards Anna. When he held Anna in his arms they exchanged concerned looks as they saw the new white streak of hair. "The library! The Map! You left it in the Troll's book." Aphrodite reminded. He nodded passed her over Anna, and ran out of the ballroom and up to the library.

While Aphrodite waited for him to come back, Anna in her hand, she then realized that the room was an ice cube now. Scary looking spikes grew in the corners that she knew expressed Elsa's fear and anger. And only then did Elsa's sobs brought her back to reality. _Elsa! _She looked quickly around the room and saw her daughter on the floor, shaking from fear, hands on her face to hide herself desperately with anything.

Elsa really wished for the secret spot her mother had been hiding her in when her father's mind was in limbo.

Aphrodite ran towards her shaking daughter, knelt next to her and wrapped her in a hug in which Elsa didn't refuse at all. Elsa quickly wrapped her hands around her mother's waist and cried. "Mama, I'm s-sorry I'm sorry I d-d-didn't mean to h-hurt Anna it was an-" Elsa was shaking non-stop, afraid and she couldn't hold the sobs anymore. "Shhh..." Aphrodite comforted her. She rested her chin on her daughter's platinum head, and her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Everything will be fine, I promise. I will get you out of this"

_I will get you out of this nightmare. I will! Oh please, Robin... Please be there. I hope my plan works. I promise, I will keep you safe. I will get you out of this nightmare, both of you. My daughters._

Three figures laid on the icy ground while they hugged each other. Not a queen and her princesses, but a mother and her daughters. As they wait for _him_ to come back with the map, all Aphrodite could do was to pray for her plan to work, and all Elsa could do was to pray for her sister's well being.

_I will protect you whatever it takes._

The snow around them started to melt very slowly, but was it due by Elsa's control or the hot summer temperature. Elsa heard her mother mumbled something but she couldn't understand it through her sobs. Aphrodite glanced around the room from under her bangs.

"We started dying like the snow. And like the snow, we started to fall."


	3. Fate

**Hello everyone, i hope you're enjoying the story, just wanted to clarify some things , first i'll give a warning, the next chapters will be more...harsh and well...you know..however, there will be no mention of rape in the whole story so relax ..cause i really hate this and i can't write such things, though i'm okay with abuse and torture XD...anyway, second , you'll see many different disney characters (rapunzel and flinn) in the future chapters along with oc characters. Please if you're liking this story feel welcome to post a review , just to know that people are actually reading, and it really does encourage me ;)**

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The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter II : Fate

He burst inside the room while holding a piece of what looked like an ancient piece of paper. He ran towards his wife and daughters, his breath was fast and sweat ran down his face. "There!" He pointed at the corner of the map, "This is where we have to go!" The sound of his fast-breathing rang in Aphrodite's ears in the silence of the icy room. She nodded at her husband, passed him Anna and was about to carry Elsa when his cold and fierce voice froze her in place. "You are not going to bring he-... This monster with us! She already did enough harm and many other things!" He yelled.

The word M_onster_ sent a shiver down Aphrodite's spine before she quickly shushed him, "You know it's not her fault!" She stood up while holding Elsa, "A-And maybe the trolls will help us with Elsa's powers. M-Maybe they can remove them!" Her voice cracked as she tried to convince her husband that both her daughters should have come along. She knew she was lying to him. She knew that Elsa's powers were just inevitable since she was born with them. They were a part of her of course. But Aphrodite had to say anything so she could bring them both with her. _ I have to bring them both! Both... My daughters. I have to save them both, together. _

The king saw his wife's determined and concerned look. He sighed, then, "Fine… Just keep her away from me and Anna!" He gave his older daughter a look of disgust and disappointment, before he turned on his heels, a 4 years old strawberry-blond-and now with a white streak- in his arms and he started rushing out of the room, motioning for his wife to follow.

Aphrodite nodded at her husband and grabbed Elsa gently by her arm, "Come on, Elsa. This is going to be over soon, I promise." _I promise!_

"I'm scared, Mommy." Elsa whispered. H_e said I'm a monster! But no! I'm not! I didn't mean to hurt Anna. Please Mommy, don't believe him!_ She wanted her mother's comfort. Someone to tell her everything would be okay.

_Me __too. _Aphrodite thought. She was even more scared and much more concerned about her plan's success. She wanted her daughters' safety. She didn't care about the kingdom. No one was suffering as much as they were.

"I know, Snowflake… But we have to go now. This is it. From this night and on, you won't be afraid anymore." _I hope._

They saddled their horses quickly, and galloped out of the castle gates, through the village of Arendelle and out to the woods. Anna was in her father's arms and Elsa in her mother's. Aphrodite winced at the idea that her daughter, Anna, was in between her husband's arms. But she couldn't do anything to help her now. She had to ride inside the woods and just hope for her plan to work. When she sneaked a peek at Anna, she got more concerned about her daughter's motionless body. _She is still breathing. She is still alive. Oh please, God! Please help us. _She looked at the girl in her arms to see that Elsa was trembling a bit and watching something, fear splattered on her pale face. Aphrodite followed her daughter's gaze and her eyes sat upon Anna. _Oh, Anna... Please be okay. I'm so sorry! I won't use my powers anymore but just wake up and come back with me! _Elsa thought._ Monster! Her father's _word rang in her ears clearly. M_aybe he is right? What if I hurt Anna again?_ She looked at her father from under her small platinum bangs and quickly looked away to the ground before he noticed. She squeezed herself closer to her mother's chest and wrapped her mother's dangling cloak around her, claiming protection.

_She loves her sister so much, she already forgot about her wicked father. She is afraid for her... And from him. _Aphrodite looked at her husband whom was clearly focusing on the way the map showed. A frown crossed her face. _You!... I wish i would someday wake up and news about your death scatter the kingdom! _She felt her daughter's tension between her arms and at the thought of her husband, she squeezed Elsa closer to her body, her maternal instincts were working on protecting her daughter.

The temperature of the summer night was pretty low. They galloped on hills, through rushing rivers and a forest with large thick looking trees. _Oh, Robin... Where the hell are you?_ Aphrodite thought before she started to fear the worse.

As they arrived at a valley covered in moss and dark grass, they slowed their horses' pace to a walk, before they dismounted their beasts and decided to continue by walking towards the center. They couldn't help but notice that no one was around. No cabin, no hut, not a living soul was there. Both parents exchanged concerned looks, "Where are they?" Asked Aphrodite and put her hand on Elsa's back, urging her to move forward along with them.

"I don't know... They-... They should be here! I wasn't mistaken with the m-map! THEY SHOULD BE HERE!" The king started looking quickly around. He was confused. He was afraid. He _was now _angry.

"Jamie, that's not the time to be a-angry, right no-" Just when she was about to talk her way out of this mess, she heard twigs snapping. When she quickly turned to face the noises, a grayish figure came closer to her. And the more he came closer the more she realized that he was not _human_.

His back was covered with moss, his skin was grey and solid like rocks, his face was full with stony wrinkles and his eyes were white; His irises were nowhere to be found. "Jamie...?" She called quietly. Her husband turned quickly and his hostile face dropped to a bug-eyed one. His anger suddenly turned to worry, "Please, my daughter!" He shouted to the creature. "She was hit by... HER magic!" He pointed at the hidden Elsa whom was holding desperately to her mother's leg. Elsa couldn't help but wince as her father spat the word _her_ _magic_ like poison.

The troll walked towards the king. When he approached, he saw Anna's streak, "Ah, I can see ice in her head." And at that point the king shot his head up and gave Elsa a furious look, "You!" The king yelled. Elsa gasped and hid quickly behind her mother.

"Your Majesty!" The troll yelled so he could get the king's attention before hell could break loose. "I can heal her," Reassured the troll before he rested his stony palm on Anna's forehead, "But..."

"Do what you must!" The king demanded.

"No wait!" Shouted Aphrodite and came closer to both of them, "But… What?"

The troll could see her concerned face, and what came next, shocked the royal family.

"Her head was hit with ice, and the ice shot her memories. Of course, I have to remove all her memories swallowed by ice in order for her to live." The troll said bluntly.

The royal family gasped in unison.

"No, no, this can't be happening!" Said Aphrodite. _No, no, no, NO!_

"This is all your doing!" The king yelled, red-faced, at his wife. "If you haven't gave birth to this MUTANT!" He yelled, pointing angrily at the frozen, unmoving and wide-eyed Elsa, then, "None of this would have happened!"

"Jamie, stop this! She's your DAUGHTER!" Before she could continue, Heat. Sharp. Fast. Across her cheek and the ground rushed up to meet her. The King just slapped his Queen.

Word after word that flowed from her lips angered him more by the second. His patience was running out, and his temper was already flaring. Rage boiled through his body. He barely had a chance to think of his actions. The only thought running through his head, was getting her to shut up. The king pursed his lips and raised his hand back. He threw his hand forward as hard as he could, whipping it across his wife's face. The crack of skin contacting skin echoed off the mountains and the valley. Vibrations of pain started in his palm and spread all the way to his finger tips. His palm was bright red, the same red mark that matched the one on her face. Aphrodite stared at him with her eyes wide as her hand slowly made its way to her scorching red cheek.

"This... THING!... Is not my daughter! You reckless cheating slutt!-" He started.

Elsa was frozen. The scene in front of her was torturous. The fact that it was her fault that Anna had to lose her memories, her mother was hurt and her father was in rage made her feel the more guilty. She closed her eyes, squeezing them shut as hard as she could, her heart thrummed really fast and hard like it was about to burst out of her chest, sweat covered her body, tears began to shed all over her light freckles. "NOT MY DAUGHTER!" She heard the king yell. She couldn't breathe, "She's not! She's not!" She lifted her hands to cover her ears to just avoid hearing anything, not wanting to hear her father's voice. She wanted to get away, to stop the pain in her chest and to save Anna. She just wanted a lot of things right now. As her fear started to grow, ice started to form underneath her. "SHE'S NOT! SHE'S NOT!... NOT MY DAUGHTER! NOT MY DAUGHTER! SHE IS A MONSTER!" She tried to shut all of them out. Her world promptly went in slow motion but the raging screams from her father didn't stop. "She'snotshe'snotshe'snotshe'snotttttttt!" Elsa couldn't take it anymore. As she rocked back and forth quickly, shaking her head and trying desperately to keep the noises out, she used all her strength to let out the loudest high-pitched shriek a 6 years old girl could master, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" In a flash, the whole valley was covered in thick snow.

Elsa's eyes started to blur, her legs fell from underneath her and she collapsed to the ground. The bright white ground underneath her started to spin, as darkness overwhelmed her and the world went black.

Aphrodite's world was a mess. One of her daughters laid unconscious on the snow, the other in between the arms of a devil. _You don't understand! She is your daughter, she is she is! _She forgot about the slap, she forgot about the snow around them, she forgot about the troll. She only thought about one thing, "ELSA!" She hurried to her daughter's motionless body, a panicked expression painted her face, stumbling in the snow as she tried to reach her daughter. "Elsa! No no no no! Please look at me! Open your eyes, sweet heart!" _No no this wasn't suppose to happen! None of this was suppose to happen!... Robin, where are you?! Anna... Elsa!... Please God oh please bring them back to me! _As she held her daughter in her arms, rocking her back and forth, tears overwhelmed her cheeks as she prayed for this nightmare to end. She felt her daughter stir, "Elsa...?" Elsa's eyes slowly opened, her eyelids weighted tones and she tried to fight unconsciousness. "Mommy...?" The little girl replied, her voice weak, her wan, languid face turned to face her mother's joyful tears. "Elsa, you're okay!" Aphrodite squeezed her daughter to a hug like it would have been the last time of her life.

Her father snapped out of it and looked around. He stared at the snow in shock, Anna sleeping in his arms. "What have I done?" His voice was barely a whisper. Aphrodite heard him, though. She turned to face him with Elsa in her arms. _Was he asking about what he did to Elsa? What he did to me?_ As Aphrodite's face lit up a little because of how her husband was understanding the situation _at last_, it quickly dropped from the sympathetic look she gave him, to a disgusted one because of what she heard him say next. "I should have killed her. I should have ended this nightmare the day this _thing_ was born!" He whispered to himself, but it was heard by his wife clearly. To Aphrodite's shock, she tried really hard not to react to his nonsense. She tried her best not to grab an icicle and shove it in his brains, but instead she squeezed Elsa closer to her chest. Both were oblivious to the old troll who was watching them in shock.

"Your Majesties," Both King and Queen turned to face him. "Your... Daughter has magic in her. She should learn to control it, or else the kingdom shall splinter." This was not what Aphrodite was hoping to hear, "-however, there's beauty in it, but also great danger. Fear will be her enemy. It will destroy her."

_No… Please… Stop. _Aphrodite thought.

She didn't notice... None of them noticed the king, her husband, the father of her daughters' wolfish smirk. _If_ Fe_ar shall destroy this monster, then Fear shall be the only thing that could tame it._ The king thought.

"Can't you do anything to help?" Asked Aphrodite hopelessly.

"I can try and look at her future, and I'll see if she will gain control over time. Hopefully, with your help, it will be easier for her. However, while she grows, so will her powers." The old troll informed.

The king couldn't help but feel a pinch of fear towards his daughter. He couldn't imagine that Elsa would over-power him when she would grow up and so would her powers as _warned_ by the troll. And that encouraged him to apply the technique of_ 'Fear'._ _I will not let a monster over-power King Jamie of Arendelle. _

"Have you decided what you want me to do with the little one?" The troll asked before he pointed at a strawberry-blond girl.

Aphrodite sighed, "Of course…we have no choice" she gave her husband a quizzing look before he nodded in agreement.

The troll nodded, "Please, bring her closer to me." The king obliged and knelt next to the troll. He placed his stony grey-ish hand on her head and closed his irisless eyes. Blue flurries started to come out of Anna's forehead and into the troll's palm as if the ice was being absorbed.

They all watched the flurries around the troll's hand thrown towards the night sky, exploded then disappeared in between the stars, and with that, they all knew that Anna's memories just perished. Gone. "She will be okay." The troll smiled at the little bundle of joy and gave her parents a reassuring nod. They all saw how the streak of white between her hair have vanished. Now, they were sure that the ice have disappeared from Anna's head. Both parents turned to the troll and and gave him a thankful smile and all Elsa could do was to sigh in relief but quickly tensed when she heard the troll say, "Now, what about you, child?" He was looking at Elsa now. "Come closer dear." But Elsa only shook her head and hid her face in her mother's chest. The creature came closer to her and she started to shift away from him but his words comforted her. "Don't worry child. I won't hurt you. Just let me see." He held his hands up, palms opened, flexing his weird fingers back and forth, gesturing for her to put her hands in his. Elsa looked at her mother with concern, and when she got a nod from her mother, she moved closer to the troll and held her shaky hands up and they met his.

_She is terrified... _Aphrodite thought. She gave her daughter a sad reassuring smile.

As soon as her shaky hands met his, the old troll's eyes lit and sparkled with blue flames. His head shot up and his face met the sky. He shrieked in agony and started chanting with a horrifying demonic voice. Terror struck Elsa's face and she tried to pull away but the troll's hands were too tight around hers. Both the king and queen were startled at the troll's sudden reaction on the contact with Elsa, and all the royal family heard him chanting.

_Your future is bleak_

_Whilst chains, you'll fight the pain _

_Pale lands shall be struck with winds of agony_

_And with every struck shall melt red snow_

_That will bring life to red rivers with tragedy_

_Although the screams were high and harsh_

_None shall notice the insanity beyond the gates_

_Only sun rays shall fight their way in_

_And free the ice behind bars._

* * *

**Well , this chanting holds a lot of secrets, so be sure to read it again and again ;) cause it also holds elsa's future. i hope you guys are enjoying this :) please review. hugs and kisses.**

** Lany~**


	4. Born Of Cold

**Hello guys!...i hope you enjoy this chapter , i really worked hard on it...and its the longest chapter...yet...anywho i warn you there will be some**

**emotional stuff, also detailed labor!..so yeah...don't read if you can't stand to imagine it xD**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter III : Born Of Cold

A wave of cold wind exploded from between Elsa's hands and the old troll's, throwing Elsa to the snow as the explosion sound echoed in the mountains. She tried to push herself into a sitting position while her brain pounded in her skull and her vision blurred. She shook all of it away before she adjusted her eyes upfront then gasped and couldn't believe what she saw. Her cyan eyes widened and her heart stopped. In front of her laid an ice statue of the old troll. His hands were still held up, his frozen face showed pure agony and the moss on his back turned to icicles as they shone under the moonlight. _No… No, no what have I done?! _She thought before she collapsed to the snowy ground and started to mourn over the solid frozen troll. _I… I killed him!?… I killed him!_

When both Aphrodite and Jamie returned from a cowering position, they looked around and their eyes sat upon their crying daughter and the frozen ice statue of th_e troll? _They both thought. When they realized the situation that just happened in front of them, they gasped in unison. Aphrodite rushed to her daughter and kneeled next to her and rested her hand on the platinum head, "Elsa... What have-" Aphrodite suddenly stopped mid-sentence. _WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?_! The words of her husband in the ballroom echoed in her mind. She looked up at the ice statue to see her daughter's _doing._ She was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts by her husband's voice, "She-... She froze him!" He whispered, "He is… Dead. Frozen." He approach the statue, eyes wide, lips apart, and tapped his index on the iced figure.

_tup tup tup_

He wanted to be sure if his eyes were maybe lying to him, but clearly, they weren't.

Elsa lifted her head and looked at her father with pleading eyes, "Papa, please I d-didn't do-" She was saying and trying to reach for his hand but he quickly flinched away from her, "Stay away from me!" He screamed, holding Anna away. Elsa couldn't believe it. Fir_st Anna, now this!? _She thought, new tears fell down her cheeks again and she started to cry before she fell to her knees. H_e hates me! He's afraid of me!_

"This is getting out of our hands! W-We should lock her away from everyone or else she'll hurt them. E-Everything she touches turns to SOLID ICE!" He said with a bit of real fear in his voice.

"Lock?!" Aphrodite yelled, a concerned look on her face as she wrapped her arms around her daughter, her face still focused on her panicked husband. She could see the absent look that splattered his face. Elsa flinched a little at the contact, but her mother squeezed her for reassurance. Obliging, she relaxed in her mother's arms and wrapped her arms around the queen's waist. The king didn't hear his wife's question for he was clearly buried in his thoughts, pacing back and forth in front of them. "I'll deal with her later..." He started.

_What do you mean? _Aphrodite thought.

"Now we have to get out of here before anyone sees us… I-I'll talk with the smith-" He said, more to himself.

_What? _Aphrodite thought.

"I'll see the physicians… Necromancers... Anything!"

_Physicians?!... Necromancers!? _She didn't understand what he was talking about, yet it gave her a very bad feeling in her chest as her heart started pumping faster. _This is a nightmare!_

"Yes… Yes! That will do." He convinced himself. He turned to look at his wife, a serious look spread on his face.

"What are you saying!?" She asked horrified as she shook her head at him in disbelief.

"No time to explain… I-It doesn't matter. We just have to go, now!" He turned and began walking away towards the hitched horses, with Anna in his arms.

Aphrodite looked at her sobbing daughter with utter worry. She placed a hand on her platinum head and then rested her cheek on it. "Don't worry, Snowflake. I'll never let you go. I won't let anyone touch you, I promise." She told her.

"M-Mommy, I-" Elsa tried to defend and reason but she was cut off by her mother's shushing sound. "Shhh...It's alright." Aphrodite shushed gently, squeezing Elsa closer to her chest. _This is all going to be over soon. _She kissed the platinum head and then lifted Elsa's chin with her index so that her cyan eyes met her own green ones. She then wiped her daughter's tears with her thumb and gave her a big reassuring smile. "Come now..."

They stood up. Aphrodite took Elsa's hand in hers and they began walking towards Aphrodite's horse. She lifted Elsa first, then mounted the pure white stallion. Elsa wrapped her mother's cloak around herself again and when she looked at her father, he gave her a sneer so she quickly averted her eyes and hid her face in her mother's chest. _Frozen. _Elsa remembered. _Solid ice!... Dead… She killed him!... MONSTER! _Elsa squeezed her cyan eyes shut as she allowed the words of her father to haunt her mind. _Anna… I'm sorry._

Aphrodite gave her husband a nod, motioning for him to lead the way. The king gave his horse a small kick causing him to snort before it began to walk forward into the woods, followed by Aphrodite's horse. _Robin… He didn't leave us did he?!... No... No, there's still time for all the road back. It's either now, or never._

Half the way back and the queen started to fear the worst. Where_are you? Sh_e looked around, hoping for a miracle to happen, but _nothing occured_. The only things that accompanied her, were her silent husband, the sound of the wind blowing the trees, and the barely heard snores of Elsa. _She fell asleep… Rest my love, rest now. S_he gave her daughter a sad smile then looked over at her husband and her younger daughter. Her face fell to a woeful expression, tears started to appear at the corner of her eyes. _Anna… S_he tried to imagine what she would say to her daughter once she was awake. The thought that Anna won't recognize neither of them broke her heart in million pieces. Her eyes then met her husband. _You were never like this, JamieJamie. You used to get a little angry, but you were NEVER this… Cold. _As she glanced at her husband, with both angry and sympathetic look, she remembered the day Elsa was born.

* * *

It was late December. A snow storm buried The Kingdom of Arendelle in thick white sheets of snow. Nature icicles descended from roofs, citizens locked themselves in their homes around the warm fire and children gazed at the storm from the windows in awe. None of them knew what was happening in the castle. All citizens were oblivious to the screams of pain coming out of their Queen, and none expected for the heir to Arendelle to be born and brought to life.

King Jamie sat in his private study room, signing letters and parchments sent from other kingdoms around Arendelle. Some were even from foreign countries. He sighed in defeat, set his quill back in the ink pot, stood and walked over to the window. He watched the snow storm in concern. _Arendelle have never seen something like this._ Indeed. Arendelle never faced a winter that harsh. Snow covered the roads with 10 feet long thick snow, lakes were frozen solid to the point where Ice Harvesters called this year's season The Titanium Winter for the ice couldn't be cut in no ways. It had solid strength, and whenever they tried to cut the ice, it only results in broken pickaxes.

**Flashback**

_The king sat at his desk in his room, signing paper and parchments. He was tired. Exhausted even. He sighed angrily, threw his quill to the side of his desk and rested his head in his hands, before a gentle, warm voice got his attention, "Even kings should rest, you know." He lifted his head and turned to face the owner of the voice then smiled. There, sat Queen Aphrodite of Arendelle on a rocking chair, holding one book in one hand and the other on the quite big bump on her stomach. She smiled warmly at him. _

_"I think you're right." He replied with a chuckle. _

_"Like always." She teased with a smirk. He approached her, knelt next to her, one hand on her knee the other on her hand that was on her tummy. "My love!... You're so cold!" He exclaimed with wide eyes. _

_"I don't think it's something new. The day the doctors said I'm with child, I've been the happiest woman in Arendelle, and I've been feeling cold ever since." She reassured. The king quickly removed his teal cloak and wrapped it around his wife. "Better?" He asked with a smile and she nodded in reply. He looked at her belly, then at her again, "How's my little king?" He asked, rubbing her belly._

"_You know it doesn't matter if it was a prince or a princess, my love. We are going to have a child, Jamie… Our child!" She said, excited._

"_Of course, love. But we need a strong heir… Ar__endelle needs a King."_

"_Even a Queen can rule, honey." She winked at him. "A beautiful Queendom."_

_He chuckle before he stood to reach her head and kissed her forehead. "A son is preferable… A strong king to hold Arendelle together." He looked at her as she yawned from tiredness. "Even Queens should rest, you know." He smirked as he teased. Aphrodite bumped him on his shoulder playfully. Then they stood and hugged each other passionately. "I love you" She said. "I love you too" He assured before he kissed her lips passionately. _

* * *

Rough and kick knocks on the door woke the king from his thoughts. "Enter." He said sternly. The door flew open as Kai, their personal royal servant, rushed in, breathing fast.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" He called, choking and panting with his words.

"What is it Kai?! Slow down, take a breath!" The king said, holding the man's shoulders.

"Your Majesty… The queen… She... She's in labor!"

The king's eyes widened and his heart started pumping hard. "Take me to her NOW!"

"Yes, yes, your majesty. Quick, this way!" Kai replied, motioning for the king to follow.

* * *

Waves of intense pain-accompanied with her shrieks of agony-shot her lower back, and abdomen. She felt her insides twist, pull and squeeze. The more she fought the pain, the more it became worse. "I can see the head, Your Majesty… Now, push!" The doctor instructed her. Sweat overwhelmed her entire body, her hair was wet from sweat, her hands clutched the bed sheets like she was holding for dear life and her face showed pure agony and exhaustion. "She is losing a lot of blood!" She heard a midwife yell. "Push your majesty!... Push!" She heard the doctor before she felt another wave of extreme pain shot her entire body. She shrieked in agony, "AAAAHHHH!" She tried to push with her full force. The pain was so intense, she felt her soul crawl out of her body. She was breathing fast, more like gasping. "I cannn't!" She tried to convince herself as tears rushed to meet her cheeks like waterfalls. "JAMIIEE!" She screamed.

As if God just listened to her pleads, she saw her husband burst inside the room.

A horrified look spread his face when he saw how his wife fighting for dear life. "Aphrodite!" He rushed to her side, quickly held her hand in his bigger palm while the other stroked the side of her face gently.

"Jamie!... I… I c-c-can't... Do this!... P-Please... Stop… T-T-The PAINNN!" She shrieked again as waves of pain kept rushing to meet her body.

The way she shrieked the word P_ain_ sent a shiver down his spine as well as every shriek she howled. He started to sweat and panic at the sight of her like this. Fear for his wife? Fear from losing her?... Fear was everyone's enemy. The snow storm outside was fighting its way inside the room, as windows cracked and vibrated.

"Your Majesty! Only one more push! Come on!" The doctor encouraged.

"The blood…" Another midwife whispered.

"Come on, love! You can do it!" The king tried to cheer.

She squeezed her husband's hand so tight, he couldn't help but to wince in pain. She was breathing faster now; Her inhales and exhales were all shaky. She shut her eyes, squeezed her husband's hand tighter, rolled her lips inside her mouth and readied herself for her upcoming push. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" The minute she felt her baby slip out, all the pain vanished quickly like it wasn't even there. She collapsed back on her pillow, her body and breath shook, her heart finally started to return to its normal beating rhythm.

"Wher-. . . My. . . My baby. . . I c-can't h-h-hear him. . ." She started to panic when no one answered. The king rushed to meet his newborn, but he quickly froze as he laid eyes on the small baby.

"My BABY!" Aphrodite screamed. She was not going to wait for them to tell her that her baby was dead. Just as she was pulling herself up, she heard the sound that sent butterflies in her stomach. The sound that stopped her heart in joy, the sound that gave her feelings she never experienced in her entire life, the sound of a crying baby and the sound that assured her she was… a mother.

"My goodness! The baby's ice cold!... Quickly, Idina! Fetch me the hot water and the sheets and covers." The doctor said and commanded the midwife. He wrapped the infant in thick, white wool sheet then held the baby in his arms. "There... That's better." He smiled then gently handed the baby to Gerda, the majesties personal servant beside Kai, before he started to recheck on the none-stop bleeding Queen.

"Congratulations, your majesty… It's a baby princess!" Gerda said before she handed the little newborn to her trembling mother.

Aphrodite stretched her shaking arms widely, trying to reach for her new first born. The minute Gerda let go of the baby girl-and it was in Aphrodite's arms now-the poor newly mother exposed the tears of joy she'd been waiting to meet. A huge radiant smile spread on her face as she laughed in joy while she stared at her bundle of joy and just couldn't believe her eyes. The small little girl had pale skin that almost matched the white sheets she was covered in. Her mother couldn't help but chuckle as she noticed the light tiny freckles on her daughter's small baby cheeks and tiny nose. Aphrodite lifted the sheets a little from her daughter's head to reveal a small fuzzy white baby-hair. "Looks like you'll start graying before Gerda here." She joked as the others around her started to giggle. The little girl started to lift her tiny eyelids groggily, and when she did, the whole room gasped in unison as they watched the little girl stare at her toothy-smiled mother with incredible wide unique cyan eyes. Aphrodite was surprised how her daughter didn't show any resemblance to her own brunette hair, or her husband's strawberry-blond. Not even the green eyes she had, or her husband's grey ones, but she didn't care about it. She only thought about one thing now: Her daughter was alive and in her arms. "She is so beautifuuull…" A nurse cooed.

"What are you going to name her your majesty?" Gerda asked.

Aphrodite stared at her daughter's cyan eyes, then she squeezed her tighter to her chest as she felt how cold the baby was. Although it concerned her, the thought quickly vanished when the girl in her arms started to gurgle and wave her tiny hands to reach her mother's face. Aphrodite quickly obliged and lowered her head so that her daughter's tiny hands met her cheeks. "Elsa." She said warmly, paused, then, "Princess Elsa of Arendelle… The daughter of The King and Queen of Arendelle and heir to the throne." She held Elsa closer to her face and planted a kiss on her forehead. "Elsa… My sweet daughter."

"This shall do." The doctor announced before he finished by stopping the queen's bleeding. He st ood up and gave his Queen a nod, "You must rest, Your Majesty. The birth was extremely hard... And dangerous, I'm afraid. But I had enough time to quickly stop the bleeding. If it weren't for my skills, we would have been grieving, right now." He bragged.

None of the others noticed the silence of their King. None noticed that he didn't even come closer to meet and hold his firstborn. As Aphrodite lifted her eyes from her daughter's to meet her husband's serious ones, she opened her excitedly smiling mouth, "Come here, my love!... L-Look! Isn't she beautiful?" She called him with a voice that trembled a bit from early exhaustion as she stared at her little Elsa with a huge smile. She looked back up to her husband but the smile suddenly fell and she was shocked when she heard her husband's stern and cold voice, "Get out." He suddenly said. She knew he was commanding the others around the room to get out of the bedroom, _but why?_ She thought. They all looked at him with confused faces before they started to walk to the bedroom door. "Jamie-" She started but her eyes widened when she was cut off by her husband, "GET OUT!" He yelled. The servants, nurses, midwives and the doctor bowed quickly and ran outside the room with horrified looks on their faces. Elsa shifted and started to cry at her father's loud voice. The last nurse ran out of the room and quickly closed the door behind her. And the room was silent, except for little Elsa's cries.

"Jamie, what's wrong with you!?" Aphrodite asked and stared wide-eyed at her husband while trying to rock her baby to stop crying with a up-down motions.

"Who was he?!" The king bluntly asked.

_Who was he?! What is he talking abou-… _Aphrodite thought before her jaw dropped as the meaning of her husband's horrible question clicked in her mind. "WHAT?!" She yelled.

"What's his name!?... You lying whore! How could you!?" He yelled back.

"Jamie!... How could YOU!?" She didn't believe that her husband actually thought that she somehow conceived Elsa from another man. "That's _your_ daughter, Jamie…YOUR daughter... I swear, I swear!" She tried to reason.

"OH YEAH?!... Then how can you explain THIS?!" He pointed at Elsa's head then at her eyes.

"I-I-I don't know! I'm confused as much as you are! But I swear to you, Jamie, Elsa is your-" She stopped mid-sentence suddenly and quickly winced as she felt dizziness overwhelm her fast. She then felt a warm wetness between her thighs. The king looked at his wife, and his anger suddenly dropped to concern and fear. "Aphrodite...?" he called with wide eyes.

"I… I can't feel my legs…" Aphrodite replied with furrowed eyebrows before her left hand that was caressing her daughter's chubby baby cheeks went limp and fell to her side, "I…I…" Her eyes closed slowly, her head went limp and rolled to the side on the pillow.

"Aphrodite!" He started to panic and held her head with his palm. "Doctor! Kaiiii!... Anyone!"

The servants quickly rushed in, the doctor and Kai behind them. The doctor quickly called for the nurse to hold Elsa and moved to check on the queen while the nurse rested the crying Elsa in the crib, under the window. The doctor witnessed the blood-stained sheets around the queen's lower body. "Everyone out!... Now!" He commanded, forgetting the fact that he was including his King. But the king quickly nodded and strode out of the room, giving the doctor some space to examine his wife.

As minutes felt like hours, the king started pacing back and forth none-stop the moment he got out of the room. "Your Majesty, calm down! The doctor is handling the situa-" Kai tried to calm him down but he was quickly cut off by the king, "Calm down?... CALM DOWN?!... You're telling me to calm down while my wife's trying to hold for her dear life!?... And... And all because of that... THING?!" He yelled, pointing his hand to the closed bedroom door. Kai understood what the king meant._ Is he really calling his own daughter that_!? He thought, surprised. He couldn't help his jaw from dropping. He couldn't believe what he just heard. Just when he opened his mouth to say something, the bedroom door opened, revealing the doctor with a blank face and eyes locked to the ground. The king quickly rushed to hear what the doctor would say.

"My King, the Queen is fine. I stopped the bleeding for good this time." He started. The king and Kai sighed in relief, "Thank God!" The king breathed. "However," The doctor continued, snapping the king to attention. "I must say the truth of the situation at hands… This pregnancy had cost our beloved Queen dearly. She did suffer a lot. Her labor was even more life-threatening and she lost a lot of blood. And... Well... Her womb is already in a bad state… I-I'm afraid the Queen can only bear one more living child... No more." He finished, a disappointed look on his face, "I'm sorry, Your Majesty." He bowed then motioned for the king to enter the room so he could check on his wife, before he walked out into the hallway.

The King entered the room with a sad look on his face. He saw his wife, her eyes closed and exhaustion was clearly shown on her face. "Hey…" He started, "How're you feeling?" He sat at the bedside and held her hand.

Aphrodite opened her eyes slowly, then turned her head to face her husband, "Better..." She smiled weakly at him, then, "Where's Elsa?" She looked around the room and her eyes landed on the small figure in the crib and she felt relieved when she saw how Elsa was flailing her hands happily. She could have sworn she saw a tiny blue sparkle snap in between Elsa's tiny fingers, but she quickly shook the idea away, convincing herself that she was not even completely conscious right now. She smiled at her daughter then turned to face her husband.

"What were you thinking?!" She asked, shaking her head.

"Don't start this with me, now." He said bluntly and averted his eyes from her face.

"Jamie, look at me… She _is_ your daughter." She assured.

The king didn't reply. He stood and walked to the center of the room, his back to his wife, his shoulders were lifted, his back was hunched and his arms were hugging his stomach. "Aphrodite…I need to tell you what the doctor said." He said sadly then opened his mouth to continue but he heard his wife say,

"He told me." She replied.

The King turned to face her again with wide eyes, "Then you know... That because of _her!-" He_ started, both him and his wife oblivious to the cracking sound of ice and the low temperature of the room. "-We only have one more chance… A risk more unlikely to take, so we can offer Arendelle an HEIR?!... A KING!" He said then he looked to where Elsa laid, and his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.

"Jamie, Elsa is the heir for Arendelle. Why can't you belie-!?... Jamie?... Jamie, are you even listening?!... JAMIE!" She called him as she stared at him in confusion. He didn't look at her. He was still staring at _something_. She followed his gaze, and when she did, she clasped her hand to her mouth and gasped, bug-eyed and a horrified look painted her face.

Elsa was baby-laughing, gurgling, and waving her hands around her happily, yet there were blue flurries and hovering snowflakes around her hands, and the window above her was covered in frost.

"What. Is. That?" The king said, pointing towards Elsa and the window above her.

Aphrodite was speechless. Her heart pumped harder in her chest, "This can't be...!" Her voice barely heard.

"T-The troll's prophecy!" The king whispered, his gaze not leaving the frost that overwhelmed the window. He remembered every word the trolls _warned_.

_Your kingdom will splinter_

_Your land shall be cursed_

_With unending winter_

_With blasts of cold will come dark art_

_And a ruler with a frozen heart_

_Then all will perish in snow and ice_

_Unless you are freed with a sword sacrifice!_

Aphrodite quickly jumped from her bed, ignoring her pains, and ran towards Elsa. She quickly picked her up in her arms, squeezing her harder to her chest for protection. She knew what it meant. She knew the prophecy and what should be done at the end of it. "No..." She whispered to herself._ Please, no, no! She is just a infant! Nooo pleaseee! _She thought, her face showed fear, and she hugged Elsa closer. _My baby! _Tears started to form at the corner of her eyes.

"Bring her here, QUICK!... Before anyone sees this!" He yelled, unsheathing his sword.

S_hhiiinggg_

The sound of it rang in Aphrodite's ears, sending shivers down her spine.

"NO!" SHe shrieked, pushing him away, "What are you doing!?"

His hand tried to reach Elsa's small arm. He was still struggling to get a steady grip on his sword as his wife tried desperately to push him away, turning to hide her daughter from his reach. "It's a monster! That's what the prophecy says. She almost killed you!... Give her here, NOW!" The king tried to reach for Elsa again, and this time, he did. He held her tiny arm, and Elsa started to cry, frightened.

Aphrodite couldn't take it anymore. Her motherly instincts took over and there was no care in the world but to protect her baby. Heat rushed to overwhelm her body, anger crept all over her, her heart stopped and her left hand closed in a fist. She held it high and let it smash her husband's face with full force.

The king stumbled backwards and fell to the floor. The sword flew from his hand and collapsed to the ground. His eyes widened as he laid on the bedroom floor on his knees and hands.

"WAKE UP!" She yelled at him, hugging her daughter in protection. "She is just a infant! How could you believe such a stupid prophecy!? How could you even think of doing such a thing! Try and kill her for a stupid myth!... She's … She's your daughter!" She glanced at his face, until her eyes caught the sight of blood that dripped down his nose, and her rage dissipated. She gasped, realising what she just did. O_h, God... What have I done!?_

He turned his bug-eyed face to meet her furious yet frightened one. He stood up. Wiped the blood off his nose with the back of his hand, walked towards where the sword fell and picked it up in his hands. Aphrodite tensed at the sight of it again and squeezed her hand tighter to Elsa, fearing he would try and attack again. The king sheathed the sword, walked towards the bedroom door, silent and mute... Not a single word. With his back straight, he turned the door knob, opened the door, and there, he stood still. He looked at her from over his shoulder, "It better be a boy and… She's not my daughter." He said, his voice cold, before he smashed the door close behind him with an angry force.

Aphrodite felt like someone just stabbed her heart with a Great sword. _He_ _doesn't believe me… He hates her!...H-He wants a boy?!_ She knew that he was hinting about her next and last pregnancy. She looked at her crying daughter in her arms, a look of concern splattered her face and she exposed her chest, allowing Elsa to feed, as she rock her to sleep. "Shhhhh..." She then began to sing a lullaby hoping for it to shush Elsa and put her to sleep.

**(The music of the song and the rhythm is the one of the song Noble Maiden Fair from the movie brave but with those lyrics.)**

_Little snowflake, close your eyes_

_The sun is going down, now_

_Deep in our hearts, love shall thrive_

_No one can hurt you now_

_When you're alone, hear my voice_

_I'll be there when you need me_

_Little baby, count on me_

_I promise I'll never let you go._

"Don't worry, my little snowflake." She kissed her tiny forehead, "I'll protect you." She walked towards the crib and placed the sleeping Elsa in it. She smiled at her sadly and with the motherly fond, then her eyes looked up to watch the ice melt. When the outside became more clear from the window view, she gasped in silence and was shocked to see the snow storm was no longer there, instead, it was replaced with Blue-cyan Aurora Lights that were dancing in the clear night sky above the white kingdom of Arendelle.

"Look Elsa…The sky's awake." She whispered with a radiant smile.

* * *

**I hope you guys enjoyed it :) , please let me know your opinion on this , reviews really make me happy ! :D you are awesome..c u in the next chapter...it will be called "Ambush" ;) hint hint.**


	5. The Ambush

**Disclaimer : Frozen belongs to Disney and all its characters.**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter IV : The Ambush

_Present_

They were riding for an hour now. The chilly winds rushed to meet their faces and the only thing they could hear was the sound of the wind blowing the trees as they rode half the way back in silence. _Robin, why are you late?!_ Aphrodite thought, concerned. She was then the first to break the silence after remembering the day Elsa was born. "It's not her fault." She said sternly. The king was already sleepy himself, and his mind was drown in his own thoughts. Her voice snapped him to attention and he replied with a distracted, "Hmm?"

Aphrodite took a deep breath, trying hard to stop herself from just to run at him and start strangling him. "I said… It wasn't. Elsa's. Fault." She repeated slowly in determination, so that her husband could hear her clearly.

"I don't want to hear anything about it, now." He replied with a groan before he turned his head to face the road ahead of them.

"YES!" She laughed sarcastically and agreed mockingly, "You don't want to hear anything about it, now!... In fact, you never wanted to hear anything about her! You're always thinking about your god damn role as a king that you forgot about your own daughters!" She said angrily in a low volume, trying not to wake her daughters. Anger started to grow in her with every word she said.

"Should I remind you why we are here!?" He replied with a frown, "It's because of _my daughter-" He_ spelled the words _my daughter_ in a mocking way before he continued, "-that Anna was _this_ close to die and that the troll froze into a god damn ICE SCULPTURE!...And_my daughter's_ fault that you nearly died bringing her to life… MY DAUGHTER's fault that Arendelle might get trapped in an unending winter at any second!... MYYY DAUGHTER'S FAULT ARENDELLE WON'T HAVE AN HEIR!" He yelled the last sentence and sent echoes in the mountains. The two young girls shifted but luckily they were too tired and sleep defeated them.

"If you don't want Elsa to take the throne that much, at least there's Ann-" She tried to argue but was cut off by him.

"I WANT A KING!... Arendelle needs a KING!" He couldn't help but to yell, now. He was furious. "So tell me, Queen Aphrodite of Arendelle… How is it not _her_ fault after she did all those sins?!" He said with a clear mocking, disturbing voice while pointing at Elsa with his chin.

"Sins?! She's just a child!" Aphrodite couldn't understand how could someone rule a kingdom and be cruel to a little girl. Not just that… But also _his_ little girl.

"The prophecy clearly showed that she's capable of doing horrible things none normal child can! And all what happened tonight proves it! I won't stand there, arms crossed while I wait for my own kingdom to be buried in snow by a monster in front of my eyes. I cannot allow it! My duty as The King of Arendelle is to protect it at any cost, even if it means locking _her_ away. You are lucky I didn't cut her head off the day she was born! The prophe-" He tried to continue but was cut of by Aphrodite.

"The prophecy, the prophecy, the GOD DAMN prophecy!" She said mockingly, "That's all what you listen to." She scoffed then, "Well how about I tell you a prophecy! The Troll's prophecy actually!-" she taunted with a smirk, "You see, it says that Arendelle will be trapped in an unending winter because of a ruler with a frozen heart! " She laughed this time, "Ironically, you were afraid all this time of a 6 years old girl! Just imagine it in the history book of the rulers of Arendelle. 'King Jamie Of Arendelle afraid of his six year old daughter.'" She teased while gesturing with her open hand an imaginary horizontal line in front of her as if she was conjuring a vision. "Now that will be a nice laugh for the reader, don't you think?"

"Shut up." The king whispered. His anger started to creep out again.

"Nonono, really!" She said with a laugh, "It's just that... The fact that you thought that she was the ruler with-"

"She'll never be a ruler!" He screamed.

He cut her off but she continued anyway, "You thought that Elsa, the little girl that builds snowmen in winter and fights an imaginary boogie-man under her bed with a broom, have a frozen heart! It looks like it to me, you've been the one with the FROZEN HEART!" She accused, this time with an angry shout.

"That is NEVER true !" He determined. Aphrodite started to see the sweat that was forming around his concerned face.

_Hah, looks like I'm right. He is scared to be referred to as the cursed ruler, so he blames it on Elsa. _She thought_. _

"You've been cruel with her the day she was born! And you even got colder and harsher the day Anna came!" She said, then, "You even HIT her that day!" Aphrodite tried hard not to cry in front of him. The memory that her husband had hit her daughter made her bite her lip and squeeze Elsa closer to her chest.

"Sh-she had sinned! More than a-anyone in Arendelle!... And just like you said! She is only 6 years old and she is already killing everyone! Nevertheless, I'll deal with her when we get back." He tried to defend himself but Aphrodite didn't buy it, though she quickly tensed when he said that he would

_Deal with her?!... He was serious about the physicians and the..._

"W-w-what are y-" Aphrodite tried to ask but was cut off when she saw an arrow drive deep inside her husband's horse's chest. The horse neighed loudly in pain and collapsed to the ground, sending both the king and Anna with him. Aphrodite didn't have time to react as her horse got startled and bucked her off his back. She fell on the grass while Elsa was thrown away farther.

Elsa quickly awakened, shook her dizziness away, then lifted her head to try and realize what just happened. She gasped, her eyes frightened, as she saw three men in black leather outfits-two hooded, one exposed his black hair- were approaching them from three different directions and weapons in hands. One of the hooded men looked younger than the other, and the other one also had a beard.

Snow started to fall.

The minute Aphrodite's body contacted the ground she felt an extremely aggravating pain strike her arm as it sent shivers down her body. She shrieked in agony and winced before she quickly looked up while still laying on the ground to figure out that her arm was broken badly. She looked around quickly, trying to forget about the pain. Her eyes widened in fear when she saw the three unknown men approach, but when they came closer, she realized that the unhooded one was familiar. _Robin!? _

When The king fell to the ground, Anna still in his arms and saw the three men, he stood up quickly and ran towards his wife to defend her from the ambushers. "Aphrodite!" He helped her up quickly and handed her Anna. He unsheathed his sword, awaiting the battle. His eyes darted from one man to the other, taking cautious steps. The one with the black hair was not looking at him though, he was looking at his wife. He heard him yell, "GO!" The king was confused, but he didn't have time to think. He charged at the man with his sword held high, brought it down to meet his opponent's with a _CLANK!_

Aphrodite was having an emotion roller-coaster. Happy, sad, confused, frightened, relieved. She watched with wide eyes as Robin and Jamie fought to the death, but was quickly brought out of her world when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She flinched quickly but was relieved to see the man with the beard, whom she recognized as Brandon, motioning for her to come with him said, "Your majesty! We should move now! Quick!" She quickly nodded and he took Anna from her arms so she could move faster and give relief to her broken arm.

Robin smashed his sword with Jamie's with full force, sending the king backwards. The king quickly regained his balance and sneered at his opponent.

"GO! NOW! RUN!" Robin yelled. The king wasn't sure to whom this ambusher was yelling to. He charged again but Robin ducked it and came up wide-eyed. The two continued to fight. With each blow, the swords met.

_Clank...Clink clank clink_ The noises echoed around them. Both oblivious to the falling snow.

Elsa was horrified, traumatized and confused. Her body just froze. She didn't know how to react. Then suddenly a man grabbed her arm, the young one, "Come on Princess! This way!" He yelled, but Elsa was so scared and confused from everything around her so she shrieked in fear. Frightened from him, she tried to free herself from his grip, but to no avail. Cold wind blew in her face as the snow storm she unintentionally created from her fear, picked up. "Leave meee!" She screamed at him, her eyes closed, her free hand held in a defensive position, but before she knew it, a blast of snow and icicles came out of her hands, throwing the man away to the ground. When she opened her eyed, she watched in horror as his blood covered the now-snowy ground. _I... Killed... Him... I-I… I killed him! _She thought horrified, then, _"_I KILLED HIM!" She cried, tears overwhelmed her cheeks, her legs went limp and she collapsed to the ground on her knees, eyes still wide. _I killed a man… No… No… No, no, NO! _ She thought, shaking her head wildly, "AAAHHH!" She quickly hid her head between her arms, then her elbows met the snowy ground. As she laid there, trying to shut the world out, the snow storm became unbelievably unbearable, harsh, and everyone barely saw each other anymore and Elsa was completely lost from sight as she curled herself in a ball.

Robin and the king were still fighting. The snow storm made the fight and aims harder for both of them. The king swung his sword with a quick move that Robin didn't have time to dodge it fully, and the blade scratched his shoulder, making him cry out in pain. The king smirked as he saw the blood coming down his opponent's now-bare, bloody shoulder.

Aphrodite quickly glanced back to Elsa's scream, but the snow storm was blinding her completely, that even Robin and her husband were out of sight. She covered her eyes with her well arm, trying to hold the snow and wind out, "Elsaaaaaaa!" She called for her, her voice barely heard from the snow storm. "Your majesty, quickly now!...We can't afford time! I sent the boy to get her... And if anything happens, Robin will bring her back!" Brandon grabbed her fine arm and started to pull her away, but she shook her head and tried to free herself.

"NO! I h-have to help her! I have to save her!... I-I-I promised! I promised! I won't leave her! I promised I'll get them away from him both! I PROMISED TO GET THEM AWAY TOGETHER!... NO, NO! ELSAAAA!" Aphrodite tried desperately to locate her daughter in the snow storm. The cold was unbearable; It was freezing now. The snow storm had devoured her family and the more she tried to look the more she went blind by the flying snowflakes.

"Aphrodite, look at me! WE HAVE TO GO! We'll all die here!...Th-think of your daughter, Anna!" Aphrodite barely heard him, and as she kept desperately searching for her daughter, horror on her face and frozen tears on her cheeks, she was unaware to the now-hovering rocks that were pushed flying in the storm's rage around her.

All of a sudden she felt something smack her head hard. She fell to her knees and then her head went limp, her eyes blurred, she collapsed in the snow, the world went mute and she felt an arm go under her back and lift her up. _Elsa… Have to find… Please… I promised!… I... A_nd the world went black.

Robin quickly darted his eyes around him and tried to make sure everyone was out of sight, despite the snow storm that was blinding him. _They're gone…The plan worked!_ he thought relieved. Another swing from the king woke Robin from his thoughts. He quickly held his sword above his head, blocking the king's. The king held his sword with both of his hands, trying to push as much as he could on Robin's blocking sword. Robin was very close from losing his grip, as the king was larger in size _and_ muscles, but Robin quickly regained his strength and started pushing the blocked swords towards the king.

When the king felt his own strength decrease, and the rising of his opponent's, he quickly freed his left hand from the sword's grip, leaving his sword only held by his right one.

Robin didn't notice the fast movement of the king's left hand that reached for his back then when it reappeared, his eyes widened when he saw the king holding a dagger. He didn't have time to dodge backwards as the dagger dove deep inside his stomach, the sense of cold steel contacting his guts sent shivers down his spine. Robin stumbled backwards and his sword fell from his hands. He gripped the dagger that was still in his belly. Shocked, he felt warm liquid overwhelm his body. He looked up with wide eyes and saw the king's smirk.

The king started to move closer to him.

Robin fell to his knees, his hands still gripping the dagger. "AH!" He pulled it out with a shriek of pain.

Elsa started to calm down. Her eyes were still closed, and her hands and arms were hiding her head. The snow storm started to die down, transforming into cold soft winds.

As the area around them became more visible, the king's view became much clearer. He saw his opponent on his knees, struggling to stay conscious and holding for life, and his smirk couldn't go any wider. He walked towards Robin, held his leg high, and kicked him in the chest, sending him collapsing backwards on his back.

Robin groaned in pain while he winced. While holding his hands tighter to his wound, his face met the stars but he quickly sent a disgusted look when the king's face appeared above him and denied him to see the beauty of night sky before his death.

"That's what happens when you try and assassinate King Jaime Of Arendelle." The king bragged.

Robin spat at him, his spit accompanied with blood.

The king chuckled evilly, "Still determined to show your courage." The king said before he held his sword high above his head.

Robin's eyes widened and the king let his sword collapse with full force, sending it deep inside Robin's heart.

The king held his grip tighter, squeezing harder into Robin's chest. "Die...!" He whispered through gritted teeth.

Robin's green wide eyes-though blurred-stared at the kings's grey ones. The ones full with hatred, evil, coldness… The Devil's eyes. Memories of his past started flashing in his mind.

* * *

"_Welcome to the guild, young man." The man in front of him said, before Robin quickly stood from his kneeling position, the man's hand on his shoulder. "Do not forget our purpose." The old man recalled. "We fight for the weak, we steal from the wealthy to give the needy. Everything is permitted. In people's eyes, we're thieves, but in God's, we are heroes." They both said in unison._

* * *

Robin lost his breath and he started to gasp desperately for air as another memory flashed.

* * *

"_Happy birthday Robin!" Thirteen years old Robin turned, startled, as his mother rushed to hug him, wishing him a happy birthday._

_"Thank you, mother!" He said, smiling and returned the hug. When they broke from the hug, his eyes widened as his mother held a box in her hands, motioning for him to take and open it._

_"Is that for me!?" He asked and she nodded happily. He quickly snatched the box from her hands and started unwrapping it wildly, excited to see what's inside. When he did, he gasped as his eyes widened._

_In the small box, lay a necklace. A small pure silver sword-shaped figure hanging from it. "How did you…?" He tried to ask but was cut off by his mother._

_"I got help from... _People_. They gave me the coins and I had to accept them. So I thought… Buying you your first birthday gift was a good reason to spend it on." She said, a radiant toothy smile on her face._

_He quickly wore the necklace and gazed at it in awe, "Oh waw!... Thank you thank you thank you thank you!" He jumped and wrapped his arms around her neck._

_"Anytime, love." She said before she paused and started looking around the small shack they lived in, in confusion, "Where's your sister?" She asked._

_"Oh…she's probably upstairs doing who knows wh-" He was saying when he was suddenly cut off by a small girl's happy and excited voice._

"_Robin Robin Robin Robin!" A small three years old little girl rushed down the stairs, hands behind her back, running, hopping, stumbling, pouncing and skipping towards him._

"_Woowww! Slow down!" He said giggling._

_When she reached him, she couldn't stop herself from hopping in excitement._

_He grinned at his little pure, hyper, energetic and angel-laughing sister, "Whatcha got there?" He asked and pointed behind her._

_She giggled, one hand on her mouth, "Happy bewthday Robin!" She shouted, shoving a piece of paper right in his face._

_He flinched backwards and shook his head as he laughed at how his little sister totally spelled the word 'Birthday' wrong. He adjusted his eyes on the piece of paper and gasped when he realized that the paper actually was a drawing: A horrible looking baby-hand drawn picture of what looked like him and his sister holding hands inside a castle, and above the castle were multicolored stripes and messy lines._

"_These are the dweam lights you tell me about!" She said- Grammar and Spelling wrong- while pointing at the multicolored lines._

_"And this is us!" He continued happily, pointing at the two figures, "We're in a castle!"_

"_Yups!... It's our dweam, remember?" She reminded._

_Robin stared at the drawing, then back at his sister. He couldn't believe how much she loved him, and how she didn't forget about his birthday when she clearly would have forgotten about hers! "You know…" He started, "Here." He said, removing the necklace around his neck and tied it around hers._

_Her eyes widened, "I can't take this!... It's your bewthday's pwesent!" She tried to say, but he quickly shook his head in modest denial._

"_No… I want you to take it!" He determinedly said, smiling. "It will keep reminding you of me. Reminding you that I will always be there for you and help you no matter what." He said, his chest puffed in bravery, then continued, "Besides… I have this amazing drawing!" He teased, slightly shaking the piece of paper._

_She laughed and hopped in excitement then wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, "I love you, Robin!"_

_He hugged her back, his eyes met his proudly smiling mother, then squeezed his little sister tighter, "I love you too, Aphrodite."_

* * *

Robin laid there, in the snow, eyes wide and breathless. His body went limp and he let out his last breath, before _Silence_ took over.

The king pulled the sword out of Robin's body, breathing heavily and feeling tired. He sheathed his bloody weapon then started to look around. His eyes landed on the other man's body, impelled in icicles. _Elsa?_ His eyes widened before he started to realize what just happened. He started darting his head around him quickly, "Aphrodite!" He called, but got no respond. "APHRODITEEEEE!" He shouted desperately, panicking. _Aphrodite! Anna!... _He thought worriedly, then heard a sob. _ELSA! _He thought in rage. He whipped his head towards the crying voice and his horrified face turned red and furious, "You!... Look at what you've done!" He ran towards her.

Elsa shot her head up and her eyes widened when she saw her father rushing towards her in rage. She stood up quickly and started running the opposite direction, her face showed utter fear.

Unfortunately, the king was faster. He grabbed her hair with his palm and threw her to his side and she fell hard on the snow. "_Your_ storm!... They got advantage of YOUR storm! They have your mother and sister!" He yelled before he kicked her in her belly and she cried in pain. "Your fault, your fault, YOUR FAULT! They are GONE! You little... Bitch!" He yelled again.

Elsa tried hardly to crawl away from him, whimpering and crying in pain. "P-P-Papa! You're h-hurting me!... P-Plea-" She cried to him but was quickly shoved up from her arm.

The king held her arm roughly, pulling her behind him harshly towards Aphrodite's horse.

"I tried to warn you!... I tried to treat you like a father but you wouldn't listen, you brat!"

"P-Papa… P-P-Please… It hurts!" She pleaded, her cheeks already overwhelmed with tears and her heart thrummed in her chest. She was visibly shaking in fear.

"You want to act like a monster?! A MURDERER?!... FINE!... I'll show you how we treat monsters in Arendelle!" He grabbed her roughly from her waist and force her to sit on the saddle before he mounted behind her.

He started galloping towards Arendelle.

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut, her hands clasped to her chest while she was shaking, crying and praying since she couldn't do anything more now. It was too late.

_Mama... Anna… I'm sorry… I'm sorry!_

* * *

When King Jamie and Elsa arrived at the castle, he quickly dismounted the horse, shoved Elsa down from it, and started storming his way towards the castle doors.

No one was awake. Everyone was oblivious to what was happening to the royal family. King Jamie burst inside the castle, his hands still clutching Elsa's arm.

"P-Papa...?" She tried to plead but was cut off by his loud flaring voice.

"QUIET!" He yelled and she knew that he was heading for her room.

Although, all of a sudden, she was shocked and confused when he turned at another corner and towards a solid thick metal door. The door she knew that no one was allowed to enter at any cost.

"KAAIII!" Jamie called and right after a moment, Kai came running towards them.

"Your Majesty! What happened!?" He asked, horrified.

King Jamie was covered in blood, and Elsa had small bruises around her arm and a barely noticeable one on her forehead. What really concerned Kai was that Queen Aphrodite and Anna were nowhere to be found. "W-Where's her Majesty?! And Ann-" Kai tried to ask, concern all over his face, but was cut off by the king.

"Quick, Kai! No time to explain!... Call for the guards, and tell them to send troops all around Arendelle and into the woods to search for Aphrodite and Anna!" He commanded, breathing fast. "Call the citizens to the courtyard… Everyone! MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD! NOW!" He yelled, then whispered to himself, "Everyone should know… Everyone."

Kai, still confused-and now horrified- quickly nodded and ran out to do his given task. He slowed half way and glanced back at the crying Elsa. _She lost her mother and sister. She's just afraid._ He thought, convincing himself before he turned and continued to run.

The king threw his hand inside his pocket. When he pulled it out, he revealed a huge iron rusty key.

Elsa felt a terrible tug to her heart, starting to go extremely worried.

They entered a dark stone-walled room, that at the end, showed old cobble stone stairs that led downwards.

He shoved Elsa from her arm inside the room, his flaring and raging body made him go insensible to Elsa's icy cold skin. He closed... more like smashed the big iron door behind him. They continued down the stairs and at the end, they reached another door similar to the first one, but this one was made of steel. The king opened the door and threw Elsa inside.

With a whimper, she stumbled forward, trying hard not to fall from the force her father used, to throw her. Then, she heard a wicked voice "Oooo, someone is in a bad mood!" A woman called teasingly. Elsa quickly stirred, her eyes widened and she cried out in fear at the sight.

The walls were cobblestones with moss growing from each crevice. The room had a path in the middle and jail cellars at the sides. At the end of the path, was a cellar that looked completely different from the rest. It looked like It was meant to hold a beast... A monster.

The king started pushing her forward, and she tried to hide herself in his arms but he shoved her harder away in disgust.

Eyes still locked wide, Elsa started to shake as she walked. From the right side of the room, she saw hands gripping the cellar door bars. Criminals, murderers, thieves, thugs and many others rushed to see what was happening, glaring at her from behind bars. One tried to reach her, but she flinched away quickly.

"W-... W-Where are we g-going?" She asked but the king stayed silent and replied with a harsh squeeze on her arm that made her wince.

Chains hung from the walls with hammered metal shackles on the floor. There, would lay depressions and misery. Perhaps where people were kept for extended periods of time. In the air hung the scent of death... and suffering. She saw as some of the prisoners flinched away from the bars and cowered at the sight of her father. Others showed concerned looks on their faces, looking at her as she passed. Elsa was just confused and lost. _What's happening!? What is this place!?_ She thought, before she heard a young man yell.

"Why did you bring a child here!?... Look everyone! The king is afraid of a little girl!" The man mocked and laughed.

Elsa looked at her father but he didn't react. He only kept his gaze at the strange door at the end of the room. Elsa's eyes darted from cellar to cellar. People in them varied in sizes and genders. Some showed fear, others shook their heads at her, and most of them motioned for her to run, but she didn't understand.

"What are going to do to a small child?!... Isn't all this enough for you!?" A man yelled.

"This _child,_" The king finally spoke, saying the word _Child_ in a mocking tone, "Have done more crimes than any of you… Don't let her innocent face deceive you. Behind it, hides a monster."

Elsa lowered her head in shame, one arm around her middle, the other still held roughly by her father.

Elsa and The king reached the door, and Elsa realized it was made of something she didn't know what it was, but it looked much stronger than the other cellar door bars. The door was opaque, hiding everything behind it. Only at the bottom of it there were bars, and Elsa would have clearly seen what laid behind this mysterious door if she would have peeked. _Why did he bring me here!?_ Elsa started to panic. The king had to use 3 different big keys to open this door, and when he did, He shoved Elsa inside.

Elsa gasped in shock. There was a strange cold that surrounded the back of this cellar. In the middle of the cellar, were chains attached to the stony floor, and at the end of them, were bizarre and thick shackles to what looked like were meant to hold someone's whole hands. At the right side of the room, were four shackles on the stony ground, placed in a way to form a triangle plan. The two at the top had short chains, allowing whoever would use them to move his shackled wrists a bit freely, unlike the ones at the bottom; these were close to each other, a little bigger than the ones at the top, forming the triangle's vertex and were attached directly to the floor, probably to hold someone's legs tightly. Not allowing to it's victim to move his legs at all. On the left side, laid a rectangular wooden table, and additions of shackles, ropes and chains... and other strange tools.

Elsa turned quickly when she heard the door closing behind her with a rusty noise. "NOO!" She rushed to the entrance, but right when she reached it, the door closed, and she slammed to it. "PLEASE, PLEASE! GET ME OUT! PA-" She tried to beg when a sob caught her throat.

The king locked the door again using the specific keys, his face expressionless. No tears, no fear for his daughter, no regret.

Gasps, mumbling and whispers were heard from the cellars. "She doesn't deserve this!" One yelled, "Poor child." Another whispered. "She's just a little girl!" A woman screamed.

Elsa started to drum aggressively at the metal door, begging for her father to let her out, "P-PAPA PLEASE!... I'M S-S-SCARED!" She screamed then heard gasps from all the cellars.

"That's his daughter!" A woman cried in shock, trying hard to point at Elsa's way with her shaking finger through her cellar's iron bars.

"T-T-THE PRINCESS!" Another young man gasped.

"What's happening!?" A old man pleaded.

Elsa knelt so she could peek from the bottom bars while gripping them. Ice suddenly covered the bars and she quickly flinched away, scared, ashamed and her heart was thrumming harder inside her chest. _Monster?_… _Killer? _She repeated her father's words in her head. None noticed the ice around her door's bottom bars. Her eyes were wide with fright, tears coming down her cheeks, her voice cracking, her breath shaking and she would have sworn she saw a smirk on her father's face when he turned.

While walking towards the dungeon entrance, "This is where you belong, Elsa." He said coldly, "This is where murderers with frozen hearts belong… I knew this day would come, so I made it special for you. Away from innocent people. You'll stay here forever, just like these bastards." He said, pointing around with his hands at the other cellars. "But as a father, I should help you." He said sarcastically, "I will teach you how to control your powers. You won't get out of here until you learn to conceal, do you understand?!" He asked but he only received a sob from her. He walked out of the room, closing the main dungeon steel door behind him. The sound of it echoed in the dungeon room.

_Monster… Murderer… Criminal… Frozen heart! _Her mind told her. She backed away from the menacing door, tears filled her eyes as she bit her bottom lip and brought her hands to her chest. When her back hit the wall, she slid down, sat on this new rough ground and brought her knees to her chest._ This is where you belong. _She hid her head between her knees and her arms while crying and feeling hopeless. Broken. The only thing that accompanied her in this horrible cellar, were the horrible, strong and mysterious shackles, the small moonlight that barely entered from the small window that was shut with thick bars at the top of the wall, allowing her to at least see around the room. She shut her eyes, waiting for this nightmare to end. After a moment, she lifted her head a little to look at the _window_, and she noticed that the Aurora lights were no longer present in the dark sky. Not knowing…That the nightmare just started.

* * *

The king stood behind the castle doors that led to the courtyard. He could already hear the citizens' shouts and conversations.

"What's happening?"

"Why did he summon us here!?"

"Mama, I'm tired."

He heard from multiple citizens before he sighed, preparing himself for what was coming. He held the door knobs with each hand, hesitated a little, then opened the door, snapping the people's attention.

They all stared at him in silence as he made his way to the balcony. He stood above them, breathed deeply in, then, "People of Arendelle… Forgive me for waking you from your slumber, but we all know that I wouldn't do such things if it weren't for great importance... I... I hold devastating news."

The people started to look at each other in confusion, some gasped quietly, others were still staring at the king.

The king cleared his throat, "I want you to stay all calm and take the news like loyal citizens of Arendelle, as-… It burns my heart to say, that Queen Aphrodite and Princess Anna have been kidnapped by usurpers." He said, sending waves of shock, terror, confusion and grief around the citizens. They gasped loudly, some cried, "The Queen!" or "Poor princess!" Others started to panic, some mumbled to each other, and finally one called out, "Where's Princess Elsa!?" Everyone went silent as they wanted to hear the king's answer.

The king hesitated to answer at first and was utterly nervous, but quickly regained his thoughts and replied, "Princess Elsa… I-Is badly injured from the ambush." He informed as the gasps and cries grew louder. "However," He grabbed their attention, "We should thank God in keeping her alive, despite her dreadful injuries. She will receive the best treatment Arendelle could offer, and as The King Of Arendelle, and a father, I would hope that you, as loyal citizens, would pray with me for her well-being, for she is the only family I have left." He said dramatically.

The citizens nodded in agreement, most still shocked at the news.

The king gave them a regal nod, gesturing for them to go back to their homes. He then turned, and without a word, walked back towards the castle door while the citizens started to clear the courtyard, confused looks all over their faces.

When King Jamie entered the castle, he closed the doors behind him, sighed in relief and looked up to see Kai standing.

"Your Majesty." He bowed.

The king looked at him with a regal, rigid face. "Kai, Princess Elsa is still shocked from the events, and I, as her father, should help her through this. Therefore, no one is allowed to enter her room at any cost...You included." He stood straighter and folded his hands behind his back, "Her suppers, you bring them to me, and I will personally give them to her. If anything is in need of her knowing, you come to me first. None are allowed to even pass by her room, do you understand?"

Kai felt confused but quickly nodded since he didn't want to question his king.

The king knew that Elsa wasn't going to stay in her castle bedroom anymore. He knew her new room… _Cage_… was better, and he didn't want anyone to know, forbidding everyone from crossing her room, or come near it, afraid they might get suspicious that Elsa wasn't even in it.

When Kai left, the king glanced at the forbidden door that led to the dungeons... and smirked.

From that moment, the citizens of Arendelle welcomed their first sleepless night, as the plague of _Screams_ commenced.


	6. As It Begins

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter V: As It Begins

The sound of footsteps from behind the metal door echoed around the dungeon and inside Elsa's ears. _Step….step….step…..step… _She quickly shot her head up to face the metal door. The sounds grew louder bit by bit until suddenly, they stopped. When she heard the jingle sounds of keys, she stood up, then her face lit up with hope when she heard the sounds of keys being twisted and locks being opened. _Papa came back for me! He came back for me! _

The door opened. Her heart raced, and her father appeared. "Papa!" She ran towards him, her arms spread wide, her eyes full with joy and hope, then suddenly, she froze in place and her face fell to confusion when another, strange creepy man appeared next to her father.

He was wearing black shredded robes, a rope tied around his waist to what looked like it was meant to be a belt. He was an old skinny man with grey curly, messy hair covered the sides of his head, leaving a trail of baldness in the middle. His eyebrows were bushy, his lips around his yellow teeth were cracked. Wrinkles overwhelmed his face. He had no beard and no mustache. His nose had a maul that made Elsa lift half her upper lip in disgust.

"Papa…?" She asked confused, still staring at the old _thing_ with wide eyes, then her father's voice snapped her to attention.

"Elsa, this is Mad. He's… A necromancer. He's here to help us control your curse." The king explained.

_Mad?_ Even the name made her feel more concerned.

"You have to understand that what you'll receive, is because of your own actions, Elsa." The king continued, "We have to show Arendelle that we treat criminals equally… Even if criminals were princesses." He said before he gave Mad a nod.

"What?" She asked-more like whispered to herself- feeling confused.

Mad started walking towards Elsa, "Come now, little one." He said with a wicked voice, about to reach her.

Elsa flinched away a little before Mad grabbed her hand and started pulling her to the center of the room.

She didn't understand what was happening at first. She gave her father a confused and worried look, but she only received another nod from him.

When they reached the center of the room, Elsa realized that they were actually heading to the strange shackles. When Mad grabbed one shackle in his left hand, the other still holding Elsa's, the idea settled in her mind. _These are for me!_ Her mind screamed.

"NO!" She yelled pulling her hand away, but Mad quickly grabbed it again and she yelled in fear, "Leave me!"

As she kept struggling to free herself from his grip, Mad was having difficulties trying to keep her put while her hands got colder, "Hold still!" He yelled before he finally closed the shackle around her hand and started reaching for her other hand.

She gasped aloud, then, "Papa! H-Help me!" She cried, and Mad quickly closed the other one, making her wince in pain.

The ice that was starting to form on the ceiling quickly melted.

"We are helping you Elsa." The king said unsympathetically, his eyes not leaving hers and his face blank.

"Please!" She begged, then saw Mad backing away from her saying, "There...that's better"

When he let go of her hands, they quickly fell from the weight of the shackles. Mad went behind the door, and when he reappeared, he was pulling a _Mirror?_ She thought before he placed it at the corner.

Elsa was frightened. She tried to pull but the chains were very strong for her fragile tiny muscles. "You see, Elsa?… No ice." The king stated and she stopped her struggles.

She looked at him with teary eyes, "No… Plea-" She was trying to say as tears ran down her cheeks, but the king continued and cut her off.

"These shackles were made by the best smith in Arendelle, specially for you!… Using Titanium. The strongest metal ever known." The king started walking towards Elsa, his hands clasped behind his straight back, "You see… They are strong and enchanted by Mad himself. They can conceal your monstrous curse, while you receive your punishment." He said, before she collapsed to the ground, crying, her shackled hands on the ground at her sides.

"Papa… I d-didn't mean to h-hurt anyone!" She tried to defend through her sobs, bringing a shackled hand to her eyes to wipe away her tears, but when she felt the metal on her face and remembered that she was trapped, she quickly dropped her hand, eyes wide in shocked realization.

The king reached Elsa, knelt, and lifted her chin with his index, his grey eyes staring at her cyan teary ones. "You didn't mean to hurt or kill them, yet you did! And I cannot allow a monster to roam free around Arendelle." He stood, then motioned for Mad to follow him and started walking out of the room.

Elsa shook her head wildly at him, "NO! Papa, please! D-Don't leave me h-h-here… ALONE!" She tried hard to stand up, then ran towards her father, but the chains pulled her back, nearing making her fall backwards and not allowing her to even come near the door. She quickly glanced back at the chains, horrified as she remembered that she was still trapped, then quickly looked back at her father again, with a frightened face and pleading eyes. _Please don't do this to me! _She thought instead of saying aloud, because she finally knew her begs wouldn't move any emotions in her father.

The king looked back at her, opened his mouth but didn't say anything. He just looked away and closed the door behind him.

Elsa kept staring at the closed door for minutes, eyes wide, still not believing what was happening around her. She collapsed to her knees, still staring. _Caged…? _She thought, finally looking around the room, _Shackled…? _She looked at her shackled hands. _Chained…? _She looked at the heavy chains around her. _Murderer?! _She looked at her reflection in the mirror at the corner.

These were the things that referred to one thing, "A monster." She said, defeated, before she curled up in a ball, crying. The sound of her sobs and chain-rattling echoed in her cage. She was alone. _Mommy promised… She's going to help me. She promised!_

* * *

Anna awoke from what looked like an endless sleep. Her eyelids were still heavy and her vision blurry. She yawned, rubbed her eyes, blinked then finally managed to look around. _Where am I?_ Her eyes darted around the room. She was laying on a soft bed. Next to it was a wooden nightstand and a lit candle on top of it. The walls were made of wood. At the end of the room was a window, a book shelve and a desk at the corner, then finally, she saw a mirror at the left side of the room. She slid down from the bed, and rushed to look in the mirror. Her head was pumping inside her skull. She tried to remember anything! But she felt empty. No memories, no dreams, no images, no visions… Blank. Nothing. _WHO am I?! _

She tried harder to remember as she saw a little girl with strawberry-blonde messy pigtails and blue-grey eyes in the mirror. She closed her eyes and tapped her index on her head, her tongue stuck out at the corner of her mouth, thinking and trying to remember. _A… Ann… What?_ She was snapped out of her thought when she heard mumblings and whispers from behind the door of the room. She tip-toed to reach the door and knelt to see from the key hole.

Behind the door were three people discussing something, and they don't look happy. Two men in black leather outfits, one with a beard and dark brown hair, and the one who looked furious, had a grayed mustache and a bald head. The third figure was a woman, wearing dark green robes, and a dark green hood and she stood in front of the men.

Anna couldn't help her curious spirit so she had to know what they were talking about. She reached for the knob and opened the door ever so slightly so she could lean to hear their conversation.

"… I can't believe what happened!" The old man with the grayed mustache said with a loud voice-but not a yell.

"Tyler, I know you're angry, but… There was nothing I could do!" Said the other bearded man before he sighed then, "The moment she fell to the ground and blood seeping down from her head... I-I knew I had to bring her to Leanna here." He said, pointing at the woman next to him, "S-She was the only one who could have helped but-" He lowered his head in shame, then opened his mouth to continue, but someone spoke first.

"But the bleeding never stopped, and it was too late. She took a big blow, and Brandon and I tried our best." The woman, Leanna, finally spoke with a voice full with both sorrow and severity, pointing at the bearded man and herself.

"I can't believe The Queen died!…W-What about the girl!?... What a-are we going to tell her!?" Tyler nervously asked, "Are you expecting me to just walk in there and tell her that her mother is-" Tyler, the old man, tried to say before he was cut off by Brandon, "Leanna!... H-Her mother is… Leanna." He said crossing his arms.

"Are you crazy!?" Tyler yelled in concern, then, "This is not a game!...This… I-I-It's-" he tried to say before Leanna spoke again.

"The only option we have." She said determinably.

Tyler, looked at Brandon then at Leanna and sighed in defeat, "I hope you know what you're doing." He turned his back to them and walked away without another word, a sad look on his face.

Brandon gave Leanna a concerned look, "Are you sure this plan will work?" He asked his eyes not leaving hers.

"It depends on which one you're talking about." She said her voice always stern.

"Both." He replied.

Leanna sighed, then lowered her head, "This is going to be the only way to make it easier for Anna."

Anna's eyes shot wide and was shocked when she saw tears coming down Leanna's cheeks.

"Hey…" Brandon said sympathetically, putting a hand on Leanna's shoulder. "There was nothing we could do. We had to leave her. Y-You know that."

"No… W-We had a choice." Leanna said weakly, shaking her head, but stopped and turned her back to Brandon, her face now fully viewed by Anna.

Leanna brought her left hand to cover half of her face, "I… I know." She said while more tears came down to meet her cheeks, her eyes closed, her right arm around her middle and her back hunched.

Brandon came closer and rested both his hands on her shoulders. "Come now, we have to tell her." He said, pointing with his chin at the door that Anna hid behind.

Leanna only nodded, wiped the tears with her dark green sleeves and started walking with Brandon towards where Anna was, her eyes not leaving the ground.

Anna gasped. She didn't know what to do. Should she have hid or should she have just opened the door then hugged her _Mother?_ She thought. Her eyes darted around the room, trying to figure out what to do, where to hide, how to react, what to say, then the door opened and Anna only froze in place, eyes wide.

"Anna?!" Leanna and Brandon said in unison, their voices showed confusion.

"You're awake!" Leanna said happily, rushing to hug her.

_Anna? _Anna thought. She tried to flinch away from the hug, feeling confused, but the woman only squeezed her tighter. "W-Who are you?!... Who's Anna?!" Anna asked, bewildered.

Leanna realized that she didn't introduce herself to the confused little girl in her arms, and she quickly removed her hood to reveal her face, "Oh! I-I'm sorry... I'm… I mean… S-Sweety, your name is A-Anna, and…" She trailed off, then, "I'm your mother!... Leanna!" She said happily. "We were just p-playing, a-and uh…" Leanna tried to say awkwardly, looking from Anna's shoulder to give Brandon a 'Help me!' look but she only received shrugged shoulders from him. Then, her gaze finally settled on Anna's white streak between her strawberry-blonde hair, "W-Well… You got hurt. S-So you just don't remember." She finished, and Brandon facepalmed because of how simple and unconvincing her explanation was.

Anna only looked at them in confusion, still silent. Leanna and Brandon both started to look concerned and their eyes widened as they waited for her reaction, hoping for their plan to work.

They were suddenly relieved when Anna smiled and said, "Oh… Okay then!... I love you Mama!" She said wrapping her arms around Leanna's neck. Brandon let out a loud breath he didn't know he kept, leaned at the table behind him, bringing his hand through his hair. He looked over at Leanna, feeling victorious but she only gave him an awkward and unsure smile. They were both happy _and_ sad, that Anna was too young and innocent, and she just accepted the idea happily, not willing to even argue or ask any more questions. "Don't worry, Sunshine." Leanna said before she broke the hug and kissed Anna's forehead, "You're safe." They shared a smile, then Anna was snapped to attention when Brandon spoke, walking towards her.

"You are one of us now child!" He announced happily and knelt next to her so that his eyes met hers, "We'll teach you to be strong and brave!" He told her as she hopped in excitement.

"I am strong!" She said while trying to flex her barely noticeable biceps, and it made both Brandon and Leanna laugh at her silliness and innocence.

"We'll show you how to ride horses! How to use a bow, a sword and-" Brandon started to say before his enthusiasm was cut off by Leanna's voice.

"Whoaaa there you two!" She chuckled, "There's still time for all that, she is only 4 years old." She said picking Anna up, "Come on, we should all rest now." She said giving Anna a pat on the nose while smiling warmly.

"Actually," Brandon spoke, "How about we introduce her to her _family_?" He said with a smirk, before taking Anna from Leanna's arms and placed her on his shoulders, making her laugh in glee.

"Yeay! Go horsey go!" She said excited and threw her hands in the air.

"You'll be really happy when you meet Tyler and the others… OH! There's also little Flynn, Rapunzel and Aiden!... They are about your age… Uhhh... But a little older actually." He said before Anna clapped her hands in excitement.

"Woohooo!" Anna squealed in delight.

Leanna giggled at both of them as she watched them walk out of the room, then Anna looked back at her and called, "Aren't you coming, Mama?!" She asked cheerfully.

Leanna gave Anna a warm, reassuring smile and nodded. When Anna and Brandon disappeared from her view, Leanna's smile suddenly dropped. She turned her head to face the window and sighed sadly, holding her tears back from falling. _I had no choice…_ She thought before she walked out of the room, and closed the door. _I'm sorry._


	7. Blood On Ice

**F****or those who didn't understand Chapter 6, well let me clear things up... Aphrodite died, due to her head injury, according to Leanna and Brandon... Brandon is the man who helped Aphrodite get away... So now Leanna is pretending to be Anna's mother, capish?**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter VI: Blood On Ice

Three years had passed since the dreadful announcement of Arendelle's Queen and Princess's kidnap. Waves of sorrows were sent around the citizens, and the other announcement about Princess Elsa's injuries didn't make things any better. Now, more waves of shock, dread, confusion and doubts were drowning Arendelle's citizens as of the aggravating news of Princess Elsa's unfortunate death was confirmed.

Three years more, and the screams never stopped, but only grew louder, making the people who once thought that those screams were from the now-known to be deceased Princess receiving her treatment, are now gossiping in silence, and it only made them more suspicious, skeptical and unsure. However, none dared to say anything aloud, as they knew that such doubts were dangerous to even be thought of, and disbelieving your king was an act of Treason.

While Arendelle was suffering from unknown and enigmatic screams, other villages and towns were facing the phantoms of thieves, yet only the wealthy were being attacked and robbed, and none noticed the life in the abandoned fort camouflaged by the woods.

Inside the woods, behind the thick walls of the abandoned fort, life went on as thieves, the poor, and the needy built their own life. Small, modest wooden shacks were built for every family, in the middle of the fort was where the people grew and harvested their crops, and right next the fort gate, laid the stables that held many different species, from horses to cows, pigs and sheep. Some of members of the Thieves guild were scattered around the fort walls, watching on guard for any intruders. Others stayed at the backyard of the barracks where they received their training. At the top of the fort, laid the sanctuary, where the meetings and the plans were placed, and where the members of the guild rested and enjoyed their supper. As for the infirmary, it was a bit closer to the market square, where injuries, wounds and diseases were healed.

Anna, now ten years old, was growing more stronger and stealthier, enjoying every day's adventure with thirteen years old Flynn and Aiden, and eleven years old Rapunzel. On the other hand, the woman, Leanna, known as Anna's mother, managed the healing of the injured guild members with her healing skills that kept growing better than ever.

The whole guild grew fond of both Leanna and Anna. Although they always wondered how could an energetic, happy and adventurous little girl could be the daughter of a woman who's always stern, rigid and calm. Albeit those signs of inhospitality were never present when she was with Anna. They never minded their behavior, since the little girl always made them laugh, and the woman was always there to save their lives from the serious injuries they would receive during an unsuccessful attempt of theft.

"Come on come on come on! We have to go!... This way!" Shouted Anna in excitement as she raced her friends Flynn, Rapunzel to the fort gates, making the refugees and the guild members laugh as they passed by.

"Anna! Wait up!" Called Rapunzel, an eleven year old girl, with dark green eyes and yellow blond hair long enough to pass her waist, as she laughed cheerfully.

"Guys, I don't think it's a good idea…" Suggested a thirteen years old Flynn, a boy with dark brown hair, fair skin and light brown eyes, who was having hard times catching up with the two crazy, energetic girls. "Where's Aiden?!" He called while rushing to their sides.

"He's waiting for us at the stables!" Called Anna back, her head forward, not looking back at him.

"Come on, you lazy potato!" Teased Rapunzel then laughed when Flynn gave her a frown.

When they reached the stables, all three were breathing fast, panting and trying to catch their breath. Flynn raised his hand, motioning defeat, "I give up!" He gasped for air, "No more… Running!" Then rested his hands on his knees, waiting for his heart to slow its rhythm.

"You'll do plenty of that if you're going to become a member of the guild, _Flynn Rider_." A voice called, mocking and giggling, startling the three as they looked its way.

"Aiden!" They called in unison. Aiden, a thirteen year old boy, a little more built than Flynn, with tan skin, light brown frizzy hair and locks of it dangling on his light green eyes.

"Hello!" He said cheerfully, waving.

"Heeeey…!" Protested Flynn in annoyance, "At least my name doesn't sound like _Maiden_!" He mocked back, bringing Anna and Rapunzel's giggles up.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." Aiden said with a childish tone while approaching them.

"Okay! Okay!" Anna quickly said motioning for them to come closer to her so she could whisper, "Now all what we have to do is sneak out pass the gates, from that hole over their!" Anna finally blurted in a low voice, pointing at the pile of hay behind them.

"What hole?" Asked Flynn, making Anna groan in frustration while she pointed behind the pile of hay at a hidden hole.

"Ohhhhh… That hole!" Realized Rapunzel.

"Now remember!... We sneak out the fort, we head to this town Hudezfeel-" Anna said.

"You mean Huddersfield?" Corrected Aiden.

"Yeah. That!... Anyway! So we sneak out, we get back before sunset, and no one should notice… Especially Mommy! She should not know-" Anna tried to explain the plan when she was cut off by a calm voice.

"Mommy should not know what?" The voice asked, making them all look at each other with wide eyes before turning to face the voice in a quick stir.

Anna's eyes widened more in surprise when she saw Leanna standing in front of them with arms crossed. "OH! Mommy… Uhhh… How did you find us?! I-I mean, we w-w-weren't planning on… D-Doing anything, I swear!… We weren't going to just sneak out or s-something! Haha… Nope. No. Not at all. We were jus-" Anna was awkwardly rambling before Rapunzel quickly reached out to place her hand on Anna's mouth before she could blow it, and Leanna only raised an eyebrow in suspicion, making both Flynn and Aiden lower their head and look at the ground, avoiding Leanna's serious eyes.

Rapunzel chuckled awkwardly, her hand still on Anna's mouth who was still trying to muffle something. "Uhm… What A-Anna was t-trying to say is, that we were just going to hang around the fort, and play tag and… Hide and seek each other to death!... I-I mean not death _death_! What I mean is-… I just-… We just…" Rapunzel herself started to ramble at Leanna's intimidating face, and she shut herself up by facepalming.

Leanna looked at them for a moment with a rigid face, making them more nervous, waiting for her reaction. _She knows! _Anna thought defeated, then was suddenly relieved as her mother's face softened unexpectedly, stared at Anna with a smile, before she approached her and gave her a hug.

"Just be careful, alright dear?" She said, her voice warm and gentle unlike what she usually used with the others.

"Okay! We will!" Anna said before breaking the hug, grabbing Rapunzel's arm by her left's, and Flynn's by her right's. "Come on, guys! Lets go!" She shouted enthusiastically, pulling them beside her, as they all rushed out of Leanna's sight.

* * *

The four adventurers arrived at Huddersfield, a nice and modest town with a very crowded market square. They passed next to chocolate stands, fruits, vegetables, meat, toys and many more different stalls, hearing men shouting.

"Potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce! Get your vegetables right here!"

"Chocolate, chocolate! The sweetest thing you'll ever taste!"

This town was so alive comparing to the fort they lived in, and they were gazing around in awe as if they never saw humans before. Indeed, they were all amazed at the amount of people in this place. They watched the crowds, the children playing, a woman emptying a water bucket from her window, and it was very close from soaking Anna, but she quickly moved away.

_Phew!... Thank you, Brandon! _She thought.

Brandon was like a father to her. He kept teaching her how to move quickly and stealthily from the day she woke up from her '_Playing _accident'. He even tried to teach her to use the bow, but her mother didn't allow them to continue, going with the 'She's still young.' mantra.

Anna was looking around when her eyes set on a puppy, hiding under the meat stall. _Awww he's so cute! _She thought but she gasped in fear when she saw the merchant pulling the puppy from under the stall, and throwing him away from the meat.

"Get outa here ya piec'a thief!" The merchant yelled angrily, and it only made Anna furious.

She turned to the others, "Guys!... Guys!" she called with a whisper, but they didn't seem to hear her in the crowd. She frowned in annoyance, then looked back at the hiding puppy, then at the meat stall and suddenly, her eyes widened and she gasped happily as an idea popped into her mind. _We steal from the wealthy, to give the needy... Right?... Right! _She thought remembering the guild's vows, before she smiled slyly at the merchant who clearly never noticed her, for he was busy with the shouting for clients.

Anna started moving towards the meat stall, all sneaky and careful. _Just_ _take the meat and run!_ "AH!" Anna shouted suddenly, brought back from her thoughts and she quickly jumped when a hand grabbed her arm, she turned and her fist flew to a face she didn't have time to register who's.

"OW!" A boy cried.

When Anna adjusted her vision after her sudden movement, "Flynn!?" She asked in shock.

"Yeah! What were you thinking! You would have broken my smolder!" He cried.

"I-I… You… You scared me!" She defended.

Rapunzel and Aiden rushed towards them, "What happened?!" Rapunzel asked, worried, while placing a hand on Flynn's shoulder.

"It's nothing, it's nothing. She was… I don't know! What were you doing!?" Asked Flynn while rubbing his chin from pain.

Anna looked at them awkwardly while they stood starring at her, waiting for an answer.

"Well…" She awkwardly said while wincing, "I was thinking that… UGH!" Anna was trying to say before she exhaled in frustration and started talking fast, "There was this little cutie patootie puppy and he looked hungry but this meany old man threw him away cause he didn't wanna share his meat and I thought maybe that 'Steal from the wealthy and give the needy.' was probably what I should have done! But then when I was sneaking Flynn grabbed my arm, so he scared me and I hit him square in the face! PHEW!" She finished then quickly gasped for air.

They blinked at her in confusion for what looked like an eternity for Anna, but then Aiden spoke, snapping them to attention.

"Hmm, she's right." He agreed rubbing the back of his neck.

"What!?" Flynn asked, shocked.

"Ahh come on Flynn! " Rapunzel started "We can prove we are members of the guild, right here, right now!" She said hopping in excitement, while Anna's face lit up.

"You have got to be kiddin' me." Flynn said, crossing his arms.

"Besides, we're not stealing for ourselves! We are just helping the hungry pup." Aiden noted.

Anna, Rapunzel and Aiden stared at Flynn with a puppy-dog face, waiting for him to agree. Flynn sighed, "Fine." He said before the three hopped with a "Yeah!"

"Okay. Time to make a plan!" Anna whispered in a serious tone while they gathered in a circle, arms on each other's shoulders, making a secret meeting.

Minutes had passed and they finally managed to come up with a plan, "Okay, ready?" Aiden held his hand in front of him, a smirk on his face, and the others quickly nodded and replied, "Ready!" Placing their hands on Aiden's.

Anna and Aiden sneaked at the back of the stall, while Rapunzel and Flynn headed to distract the merchant.

* * *

"Hello mister!" Rapunzel was the first to speak, bringing the old man to look towards her,

"Well, hello there little ones!" The old man replied in a sweet voice then, "Now beat it!" He finished with a harsh yell.

Rapunzel and Flynn exchanged sly looks, then Rapunzel started again, swinging on the balls of her feet, "Can I ask you a question, Mister?" She said innocently, and the man only groaned in frustration, "Did you kill these poor animals?" She ask, making the man's eyes widened in confusion and some of the clients gave her a surprised look.

"What makes us so sure this is cow or pig meat?... What if this is horse meat!?" Flynn blurted.

"What if these are HUMANS!?" Rapunzel noted dramatically with a gasp and some of the clients gasped.

"WHAT!?... N-NO!" the old man replied with worry, seeing the look on the clients' face, "T-These are just c-cow m-meat!" He said, stumbling on his own words at the children's sudden questions.

"Oh so you mean you are allowed to kill cows in cold blood?!" Flynn continued.

"What?... No no no... I can't just tell you how, t-there… I… I-" The old man tried to defend.

"Maybe even little puppies!" Rapunzel screamed then clasped her hands on her mouth with another gasp.

"No, n-" The man was cut off again by the two children's accusation roller-coaster.

"Kittens!" Flynn said.

"Little foals!" Rapunzel continued.

"Ducklings!"

"Bunnies!"

"Bamby!"

"What?... Who's that?" Flynn asked.

"I don't know." Rapunzel replied. "Even turtles!"

"Yea- W-Wait what?! Turtles?" Flynn asked confused looking at his blonde companion.

"Yeah turtles!... And chameleons!" She confirmed, making Flynn roll his eyes.

The man was about to faint before Rapunzel quickly sneaked a glance at where Anna and Aiden were, and Anna gave her a thumb up referring to 'plan complete'.

The old man was about to defend himself again, confused and now scared but he was cut off by Rapunzel's voice.

"WELLLL… It was nice meeting you, mister!... Kay-bye!" She quickly pulled Flynn from his arm and they both rushed behind the house where Rapunzel last saw Aiden and Anna heading with a huge piece of raw meat.

* * *

Minutes earlier…

While Rapunzel and Flynn were distracting the merchant, Anna and Aiden were sneaking behind the barrels right next to the meat stall, "Okay, I'll go bring the puppy, and I'll be hiding right behind this house okay?" Aiden spoke, pointing at the small house behind them.

Anna nodded with a smirk, "Okidoki!" She whispered, both still hiding behind the barrels.

Aiden trusted Anna on accomplishing her task, even though she was sometimes… Not too clever, but he knew she was the sneakiest one between them so he had no choice.

Aiden quickly found the puppy, "Hey their little guy, come on, you are gonna sleep with a full belly tonight!" He said, smiling at the puppy before he ran behind the house, and poked his head from the corner and held his thumb up for Anna to start her mission.

Anna nodded nervously, but quickly straightened her back, and furrowed her eyebrows in seriousness. _I can do this__!_ She convinced herself. _Okay Anna, on three… _She took a deep breath. _One… Two… THREE! _Anna jumped from behind the barrels and right behind the merchant who was still not noticing her. Anna quickly glanced at the storage table. Her eyes widened in confusion and she froze, as she saw lots of different kinds of meat. There was sausages, raw beef, cow thigh and sliced meat, ham, and many more she didn't even know what they were. _Which one the puppy would like? _She asked herself, confused, forgetting that the man was right behind her and can notice her at any second.

Aiden didn't believe his eyes. Anna was just standing there and staring at the meat. He brought his hands up and grabbed his hair in concern and fear. _W__hat are you doing!? _He knew Anna was dumb sometimes, but like _that_?! He then noticed that Anna was looking at him, and pointing at the meat mouthing '_Which one?!' _Aiden slapped his forehead in frustration. _She is so dead!_ He surrendered, waiting for Anna's fate. But when he slid his hand from his face, and opened his eyes, his jaw dropped when he saw Anna right in front of him, holding a big piece of raw meat. _How did she_-_…?_ He was thinking before Anna shoved the meat right in his face.

"Mission Accomplished!" She said proudly, before throwing the meat to the happily barking and excited puppy.

"How did you-… You were just-… He was this close-" Aiden tried to understand and made her smirk.

"I told you I was the sneakiest one." She said, cutting him off, with a sly smile.

Flynn and Rapunzel appeared next to them, laughing, then they high-fived before looking at Anna and Aiden, and Rapunzel quickly noticed that Aiden was a bit pale, "What's wrong?" She asked confused.

"We are NEVER… Gonna do that again!" Aiden screamed determinably, and it only made his companions laugh, then they looked at the satisfying puppy and smiled proudly.

"Come on, it's getting late. We should head back to the fort before anyone notice." Flynn commanded more than suggesting, and they all nodded before they started walking their way back.

They finally arrived at the fort, and it was pretty dark right now, so just like they sneaked out, using the hole, they sneaked in from it again. Anna entered first, then she started walking backwards, while talking to the others who were now frozen in place, eyes wide and jaw slack. "See?... We had great fun today and no one-" She was bragging when her back suddenly bumped into something. She turned and her eyes widened in fear. _Oops… Uh-oh._ The four of them smiled awkwardly and nervously at the sight of Leanna and several guild members behind her, all arms crossed and a look of anger on their faces.

"H-Hello mum." Anna awkwardly waved and felt shrunken under her mother's gaze.

"_Busteeed_…" Rapunzel sang.

* * *

Arendelle…

The prisoners sat in their cell. Some were injured and tortured, others beaten and few were sleeping. The dungeon door flew open, revealing the two guards, whom the king made them the only guards allowed to enter this room. But what surprised the prisoners was that the guards were holding a bounded, fat man. The new man was shoved inside the room, his face covered with the execution hood.

"Lock him up over there." One of the guard pointed at the empty cellar on the right side, not far away from the strange thick door at the far end of the room.

The other guard grabbed the prisoner from his bounded wrists and pushed him forward, "Move it!" He said sternly.

"Now what." A woman said, "First the princess, and now a chubby and fat o' man?" She mocked.

At the word _Princess_, the hooded prisoner shot his head up in confusion, and he muffled something from under his covered head.

The guard shoved the prisoner inside his cellar, "Your new home… Enjoy!" He teased with a smirk, before he unbounded the man and removed his hood, making him gasp for air.

"Please! I didn't do anything!" The prisoner screamed, trying to prove his innocence. He was fat, his bald head was covered with brown and graying hair at the sides. He was wearing nothing but black pants and tucked out, messy and wrinkled white blouse. He looked like a palace servant. When the guard shut the cellar door, the man fell to his knees and gripped the bars, "Please, your majesty!" He tried to yell but was cut off by a wicked laugh.

"Oh m' god, ye think the king will help ye?!" An old woman cracked another laugh then said, "He's the reason we're stuck in this hell!... So tell us. What's ye name, o' man?" She asked.

He started to glance around the room to find the owner of the voice, the smell of death, suffering, blood and human waste crept up his nose, making him wince in disgust. He saw multiple cellars, with women and men inside, some looked dangerous, other's looked afraid and tired, then his eyes finally landed on a short figure. She was an old wrinkled woman, short, with long grey disgusting and messy hair. Her eyes were black as night.

"M-My name… I-Is Kai… I worked at the palace-" He started but was cut off.

"Oooo! A palace toy then?" The old woman teased wickedly.

Kai opened his mouth to speak but was cut off again by a man's voice that came from the cellar at his right, "Leave him alone, Oga. I don't think it's the good time for him to hear your filth." the man complained.

"Ohhh… I was just havin' fun, Razor… Ye don't have to ruin m' fun, ye big moose!" Oga protested.

"Why are you here?" A young woman asked. She was in the cellar right in front of Kai's. She had dark skin, black short hair, and brown eyes, and Kai couldn't help but stare at the scare on her face.

Kai lowered his head in shame, closed his eyes and rested his forehead on the cellar door bars, still gripping them. "I…" He sighed, "I questioned the king about the screams coming from here… Which I presume are from all of you." He said before he heard a bark of laughter from Oga.

"Oh nonono o' man… These are not r' screams!" She said with a voice full with poison and satisfaction.

Kai shot his head up, and looked at the old woman with confusion, "What do you mean?!"

Oga smirked, lifted her wrinkled hand and pointed at the right end of the room.

Kai followed to where she was pointing, still confused, then his eyes settled on a big metal thick door, though he could see the bars at the bottom. Kai looked at the smirking, silent old woman, then at the door again, still not understanding. He cocked his head to the side so he could get a better view of what's behind this grand door' bars. His eyes widened when he only saw a pale arm with the hand shackled tight and gloved with a blood-stained glove.

"Who is this poor thing?!" He asked, bewildered and horrified.

"Well, well o' man… Meet our beloved… Princess Elsa of Arendelle."

Kai couldn't believe what he just heard. His eyebrows shot up. His eyes wider than ever and his jaw dropped then he began stuttering as he was lost for words, feeling completely horrified.

"Oh god… Close yer eyelids o' man, before yer eyes pop out!" Oga mocked.

"T-T-This can't b-be!... T-The king himself said that she d-died from h-her injuries!" Kai tried to convince himself yet it didn't work. As the idea settled in his head, he gasp in shock, sending himself to the floor, and he held his head in his hands, his eyes not blinking once. _This is not true! It can't be! All these years!_

Just when Oga was about to continue mocking him, the dungeon door opened, revealing the king and Mad who was holding a bucket full of water. The king walked pass the cellars silently, with his back straight, his hands folded behind it, and his face regal. Unlike Mad who was struggling to get a still grip on the heavy bucket of water he was holding.

The king reached Kai's cellar and turned to face him, while Mad continued to walk towards the end of the room. "I'm sorry, Kai. But I cannot allow you to roam free, while secrets in your throat might explode at any second." He said his voice ever so rigid.

Kai quickly got up to his feet and ran to grip the bars. He couldn't control his rising anger anymore, "WHY!?... What has she done to deserve this?!" He yelled right in the face of his king, but the king didn't even move a muscle.

"I see you now know where Elsa was all that time." He scoffed then, "Well… As long as you're here, so will the secret." The king turned and started walking towards Elsa's door, making Kai more furious.

"She's your daughter!" Kai yelled but the king kept walking as if he never even heard him.

* * *

Mad opened the door, and both him and the king entered Elsa's hell room, then closed it behind them. The king stood above Elsa's sleeping figure while his eyes darted around her pale body, starting from head to toe. He could see her filthy and oily platinum hair, her swollen eyelids and her blackened eye. Blood was coming down from her nose and her neck had scratches all around. S_he is hurting herself again. _He thought, then continued down her body. She was given to wear a rough shredded tunic, barely covering her skin and leaving most of her bare skin exposed, revealing the bruises around her arms and legs. But then, his eyes shot wide when he saw blood coming down her inner thighs. The king smirked, giving Mad a nod.

Mad chuckled a little then grabbed the bucket, approached Elsa, then poured the water at her, making her jump in fear and shock with a loud gasp, but the chains brought her back down to the stone bloody floor and she tried to cough the water out of her mouth.

"Wake up Elsa, I have news." The king said, mysteriously still smirking.

Twelve years old Elsa now awoke, could feel her heart beating faster. Her eyes stared horrifyingly at both her father and Mad. She quickly brought her cuffed and gloved hands to her chest, "Please…" She whispered, her voice barely hearable from all her past screaming. _N__ot now! Please, not now! _She thought before she suddenly winced when she felt it. The pain and cramps in her abdomen and lower back. Beside the pain of the bruises and scratches of course. She felt a warm, annoying wetness between her thighs. _What is happening to me?!_ When she looked where she once slept a few minutes ago, she screamed in fear as she tried to crawl away from the blood underneath her, the sound of chains rattling on the ground.

"Well, well, Elsa… Looks like you are no longer a little girl anymore." The king said, smirking "But a young woman!" He said, frustratingly cheerful.

Elsa didn't understand. She was confused and frightened. Her mind was lost in a roller-coaster whether to run away from her two torturers or to stare at the sudden blood and pain on her body.

"It means that now, you are able to bare children, Elsa. Just like any woman." The king continued, before he started walking around her, circling her like a prey and making her pull away on the chains at the opposite direction he and Mad was in.

"W-W-What…?" Elsa tried to ask, her voice very weak and trembling.

The room temperature dropped dramatically fast.

* * *

"Why does it get so god damn cold in here every time they get in there?" A man irritably said while rubbing his arms for warmth.

"What's happening in there anyway?" Kai asked, before he heard a scoff.

"Looks like our princess has… _Flourished_." a woman said, strangely with a proud smile.

Indeed. Elsa was twelve years old now, her womanly features were starting to show, and Menstrual Cycles were one of them, yet Elsa's lack of knowledge confused her, and she didn't know what all that meant.

* * *

"Enough of that now… As I said I have news." The king said and straighten up. "Here is the good news," He said pointing at the bloody floor, "And now for the bad news," he said folding his hands behind his back as his face suddenly grew grim and furious. He simply nodded to Mad.

And without wasting a minute, Mad started walking towards the bewildered Elsa.

"NO!" She shrieked trying desperately to get out of his reach, but the shackles and chains kept her still.

Mad quickly grabbed Elsa from her hair, making her scream in pain, and pulled her towards the shackles that shaped the triangle. He loosened her old cuffs, revealing her bloody wrists, and grabbed her legs and closed the shackles, at the triangle's vertex, around them, making her unable to move her legs at all. He then moved to her arms but she tried to struggle and it only made Mad furious, resulting in slapping her on the face to shut her up. When she felt that sudden sharp pain on her cheek, Elsa let out a yelp as her head whipped to the side. Seeing the situation was hopeless, she stopped struggling and released her tears of despair.

Mad closed the others-which had short chains- around her wrist.

Elsa laid there on her stomach, crying and waiting for what's to come.

"This is what happens to monsters, Elsa… I have to punish you for your crimes. Do you know that I just received news about your mother and sister?" The king asked and at the mention of her mother and sister, hope gave Elsa the bit of strength left in her to lift her head and to look at her father with pleading, teary eyes, trying to search for any sign of mercy and kindness, but she failed desperately to find any.

"They were discovered _dead_." He said bluntly, making Elsa's eyes widen in shock but nevertheless, he continued, "Frozen."

Elsa head fell back to the ground, a terrible and shocked look on her face and she turned paler than ever. _No…_ _NO! Please no no no! They didn't! No! _Elsa thought desperately, shaking her head vigorously, "No… No… NO!" She started to yell but then she heard the thing that she was avoiding her whole life. The thing that would make her lose all the bit of hope left. The thing that would send grief and pain to her heart. The thing that made her surrender, "You killed them." The king said coldly.

"NO!... PLEASE NOOO!" Elsa couldn't take it anymore. She broke down and sobs and cries overwhelmed her. _Oh God no! Why?!... Mama! ANNA!... I-… I killed them! _Elsa was shaking in fear and anguish, her life couldn't be any worse.

Yet.

"Now, now, Elsa…" The king approached her, knelt and placed his palm on her head, "I told you, your curse is dangerous. You are a monster at heart. You kill everyone you love… You _are_ an abomination." He said, making sure to have the 'Are' clearly said as he caressed her head, but his touch suddenly grew harsher until he gripped her hair hard, "Because of you, Arendelle won't have an heir." He growled, "Because of you, your own MOTHER! And SISTER! Are gone!" He yelled, his voice flaring with rage and he started to shake his head, "I sinned keeping you alive, but now, you'll receive what you deserve." The king stood and started walking towards Mad.

They exchanged a smirk. "Do what you have to do." The king commanded and Mad knew what he should have done next. He rubbed his hands evilly and walked towards the table.

"Gladly." Mad said as he headed to his tools.

The king walked out of the cellar and closed the door behind him. Screams and curses were thrown at him as he walked pass the cellars, his steps echoing in the dungeons as he made his way out.

Mad chuckled evilly and turned to grab something from his _special _table, where he kept his tools and _toys_. "Hmmm…" He hummed, playing with his fingers, "Which one to use… Which one to use." He wondered, hovering his hand above his gears.

Elsa was still in utter shock at the news of her family's death. She was feeling that her heart was literally burning with grief. This was a new kind of pain. It was worse than anything. But now, she knew what was coming. He was going to hurt her. She was going to pay for her crimes. _This is what I deserve… I'm a monster… Abomination… Murderer. _Elsa never felt so defeated and broken, she couldn't take it anymore. She gave up. She would accept her punishment in silence and would not even struggle to move. She closed her eyes waiting for what's to come.

Mad grabbed his favorite whip. He _never_ was commanded to whip Elsa. He had been commanded to hit her and torture her body with necromancy rituals, claiming to remove her powers, but her powers only grew stronger.

Elsa tried to make her face emotionless and expressionless as he circled around her like a predator hunting down his prey. All was lost however, when she let out a violent cough, sending a thin spray of crimson blood onto the floor.

His mouth twisted into a wolfish smirk, and she faintly heard a soft chuckle before his hand came crashing on her back, ripping her torso wildly and exposing her bare, yet flawless pale back.

"This is new… Untouched… I'm gonna have fun here." Mad said as he had a malicious smile on his face, "Too bad your father never allowed me to do… _Other_ fun stuff." Mad said wickedly, his voice sending Elsa more tears. Mad licked his finger and brushed it on Elsa's bare back, from between her shoulders, all the way down her lower back, making the hair on her neck stand and she whimpered at his touch. _P-Please no… Get away from m-me… Please, please! _

_"_Now… Shall we?" He teased, his voice spilling poison.

Her face was white and blistering, eyelids shut, and hair falling from the front of her forehead in thin clusters.

Mad shoved Elsa's long platinum hair away from her back, helping himself to get a better view of her skin.

_This is what a monster deserves...What _I_ deserve!_

Mad held his whip high, and brought it down her bare back with full strength and force.

_CRACK!_

"AAHH!" At the strike, Elsa's body was suddenly and instantly overwhelmed with sweat. She shrieked in agony with all her innocent voice as her eyes shot wide at this alien excruciating sensation. It scorched and nipped at the same time and it didn't even fade not even a bit. Minutes ago she thought that the grief in her heart was the worse pain… But oh she just discovered that it wasn't.

Mad could see the red strike forming on her pale back. Satisfied, he brought his whip down again and again, making her jump in agony at every stroke.

_CRACK!. . . CRACK!. . . CRACK!_

"PLEASEEE!... AH!" Elsa tried desperately to beg, her cries came from deep within her chest. A sound like a rabid and dying animal that was twisted into raspy moans by the time they left her cracking and bleeding lips.

With every stoke, It made blood seep down between her thighs and onto the now icy ground underneath her as she squeezed herself tighter, trying to push the pain away but it was inevitable since all her efforts were in vain.

Suddenly, ice crept out pass her gloves and crawled on the walls, covering the ground too. Large spikes formed at every corner, but this time, instead of pointing at Mad or her father, they were pointing at her like judging fingers yelling: _Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! Murderer! Killer! MONSTER!_ Ice kept crawling around the room, and with every stroke, the ice spread faster, and the spikes grew larger. Elsa never felt such agony. Her powers reacted so wildly it even started to creep out of her cellar and into the dungeon.

* * *

"LEAVE HER!" A woman screamed.

"GOD!... Please help her!" A man prayed.

"You son of a bitch!" Another yelled.

Kai was stunned. He was horrified and shocked. He just couldn't believe what was happening. _I'm dreaming! I'm dreaming! This is not REAL! This is a nightmare!_ He always had heard the screams, and they always had made him uncomfortable, but hearing them this close and loud, made him fall to his knees and shut his ears with his hands whilst closing his eyes and rocking himself back and forth, trying desperately to shut it out.

_CRACK!_

Every cry from Elsa sent shivers down everyone' spine and the sound of the whip contacting skin was extremely disturbing.

"LOOK!" Oga shouted, pointing at the ice crawling out of Elsa's mysterious door.

"Ice?!"

"What is that?!"

The prisoners never saw the ice, they in fact never knew Elsa had powers.

"This can't be!"

Ice started to coat all the cellars, making hissing sounds as it grew spikes, and sending cries of fear through the prisoners who quickly backed away from it.

_CRACK!_

"AAAAH!" Another scream from Elsa made the ice spread faster, and the prisoners finally started to realize that after six years of hearing glass shattering, ice cracking, winds blowing and feeling the temperature dropping, they never stopped wondering why Elsa was in this living hell from the first place.

But now they know.

* * *

Mad kept enjoying his time, not even resting.

"S-S-STOPPP! AH!... P-P-PLEASEE!" She tried to beg him with a voice trembling terribly, but she didn't know that it only gave him more pleasure. Tears were overwhelming her face. She bit her already bloody lip and squeezed her hands shut tightly as she felt dizzy, yet with another strike from Mad, Elsa felt whole conscious again.

Finally, after this moment of hell, Mad was finished. He was breathing fast, sweating and feeling exhausted. He starred at her back in satisfaction.

Elsa was gasping, sobbing, crying and wailing shakily at the same time. Her heart was trying to pump out of her chest. She never felt such suffering. Her body was shaking awfully, all sweaty yet she couldn't move as the shackles restrained her.

Her back was scorching. Red lines covered her entire pale back, some had even split open and had crimson blood oozing out of them. She cried silently as she tried to focus on anything but this new pain. Everything seemed blurry and fuzzy. Was it possible that the blood lose would make her faint?

Mad gazed around the room that was now an ice cube. He was so overwhelmed with pleasure and excitement that he never noticed the ice forming. "Now look what you've done." He said, his breath returning to its normal rhythm, "Well… Looks like we have to make you some new shackles." He scoffed.

The shackles that once covered her whole hands, were now too tight around her wrists as she grew older and bigger.

"I'll be back… I'll call for your father, then I'll bring your… _Supper_." He mocked.

Elsa barely ate or barely drank. Mad would bring her a what-should-be Meat and Water every two to three days, sometimes even more.

He closed the door behind him, and Elsa heard the locks twist. She tried to cry more, but she felt empty. She literally cried her heart out. She was crying and sobbing yet tears barely came out. She wanted the pain to go away. _It hurts! _She thought, still shackled in the triangle and laying on the ground. She let out new formed tears, hoping that they would carry the pain away if they slid from her face. But the pain was still very much there.

She truly wished for ice right now since her back was burning like hell. She tried to lift her head, but she realized that all her strength was lost from the squeezing, the screaming, the crying and the restrained jumping, so she just let her head fall to the side. If she moved once again, she would faint. The pain was unbearable. While still having her breath fast and shaky, she stared at the ice spikes that were pointing at her, with barely opened eyes, trying desperately to fight the pain.

She remembered why all this had to happen. _Monster… Abomination… I killed Anna! I killed Mama!... I'm s-s-sorry Mama, I'm sorry!... A-Anna No!… Guilty… GUILTY! _And the world went black.


	8. Acquainted

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter VII: Acquainted

Eight more years had passed, and the citizens of Arendelle were starting to believe that their home was cursed and haunted by the Devil. They believed he was torturing them with screams and unbearable cold.

Summer nights were unnaturally freezing. Winter nights sent people to their unwelcomed cold death. The Screams were always accompanied by raging snow storms and blizzards. The citizens already noticed that with each passing year, the storms only grew more powerful and dangerous, turning some of the small wooden shacks into piles of shattered and broken wood. Some said God was furious, others said the Devil was having fun. Some even said it was a sign of war and the ones that blamed the king, were hanged, leaving their body dangling from the gallows to freeze.

While Arendelle was dealing with unbearable nights, other kingdoms were dealing with great amount of theft. The news scattered the lands, announcing the successful theft of Corona's Lost Princess' crown, Prince Hiccup's royal family sword, Hammertown's treasury and many more. Bounty hunters were sent everywhere, so that whoever would catch the thieves, would be rewarded handsomely.

* * *

The Thieves Guild members gathered in the huge stony hall to attend their newest member's vows ceremony. Flynn, Rapunzel and Aiden, already had their vows last year, stood amongst the others, around two figures, one standing in front of the kneeling other.

"Rise." Tyler spoke with a commanding tone.

The young woman with strawberry-blonde hair who was kneeling in front of him, stood slowly, all proud, strong, trained and brave. "You are one of us now, Anna." Tyler continued. "Remember our vows." He said, resting both of his hands on her shoulder.

"_We fight for the weak. We steal from the wealthy, to give the needy. Everything is permitted. In people's eyes, we're thieves, but in God's, we are heroes." _The whole room chanted with Anna in unison.

Leanna stood silently at the far end of the room, watching her adopted daughter, who had grown and became a great, brave and well-skilled young woman. She couldn't stop herself from shedding a joyful tear at the sight of Anna, whilst grinning warmly at her. _She is no longer a little girl anymore. _She thought, smiling. _Soon, she'll have her own tasks and quests. _And at that thought, Leanna's smile dropped. She knew that eventually Anna had to do her duty to the guild, and that meant going out there and having the risk to be harmed. _No… No, she is strong and capable! I trust her abilities_. She was trying to convince herself before her eyebrows lifted as she was brought back from her thoughts by a strong, familiar voice.

"She is still the Anna you're afraid to lose, you know." Leanna calmly turned her head to face the voice.

Aiden approached her before he stood at her side, both were now looking at Anna who was talking to Tyler, probably about her first quest.

Leanna was taken aback first. She was surprised since it felt like as if Aiden already knew what she was thinking of. Indeed. Leanna didn't want Anna to grow up. She wanted her to stay playful and loving, and she was worried that the hard and stern training might stir Anna's personality, yet it clearly never did. And she was utterly grateful.

"I know." She said flatly, her face expressionless, yet Aiden kept smiling.

Leanna sensed her harsh tone and she mentally winced, for Aiden was like a son to her. He had grown into a tall, well-built man. He was wearing the guild's known black leather armor, his frizzy hair tied in a low, barely visible ponytail and he had grown scruffy and stubble light brown beard.

She forced herself to ask, not willing to disappoint him by her silence, yet still stern, "What makes _you_ so sure?"

Aiden looked at her then gave her a smile and chuckled, "Well… Take a look!" He said cheerfully, pointing at something up front, with his open palm.

Leanna's eyes followed his hand's direction and smiled warmly again when she saw Anna approaching with the other two comrades Anna loved most, Flynn and Rapunzel.

"Mum!" Anna called, ever so happy, followed by Flynn and Rapunzel who were already smiling proudly at their cheerful best friend. The three of them wore the same attire as Aiden's. Rapunzel had her hair tied in a high, still long, braided ponytail that even when tied, reached her waist. Flynn had his usual messy dark brown hair, slimmer than Aiden, more because of his climbing skills.

"Congratulations, Sunshine." Leanna opened her arms before receiving a warm hug from Anna.

"I did it, Mother!... I am now a full member of the guild!" Anna said proudly before breaking the hug, "I have received my first quest!" She cheered.

"Oh?" Leanna asked, smiling, yet a little worried.

"I am to take three companions… Of course," Anna swayed her hand, motioning on her three best friends with a smirk and continued, "And we should head to-" Anna was cut off by a startling voice.

"Leanna!... We need you at the infirmary, please!" The woman said rushing towards the calm Leanna.

Leanna sighed sadly, then, "I'm coming." She replied with rigidity then turned to Anna with a soft face and said, "I'll have to go now. I'll see you later, love." She said, hugging Anna who was disappointed and a bit sad at not having time to spend with her mother, since the woman was always busy.

Leanna broke the hug and gave Anna a kiss on the forehead before she turned to face the others with a blank face, "Flynn. Rapunzel… Aiden." She acknowledged them one by one with a simple nod, bidding them a polite farewell, and they replied with a disciplined head bow.

When Leanna disappeared from the view, Flynn let out a loud relieved breath, "Phew!" He breathed, "Why does she always have to be so… Cold!" He asked, "I felt like she was staring at my soul!" He said clutching his chest dramatically, making Rapunzel giggle.

"Hey! That's my mother you're talking about, Mister!" Anna defended with a humored tone.

"I know, I know, but still!" He replied.

"You are being mean!" Rapunzel teased.

"Come on, you guys! Give her a break. She has a lot of work to do. Seeing blood and injuries all day, might turn anyone like this… Besides, I don't think she was always like that." Aiden noted while scratching his chin.

"Well… She really _was_ never like that." Anna started shyly, making the three companions give her a confused look. "I-I mean… That's what Brandon said." She pointed out.

"So… What made her?" Flynn asked again.

Anna rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. She leaned forward so that her voice could only be heard by them, "Uhm… He once told me, that she had to heal an injured Queen, and well… Unfortunately, the queen didn't make it, a-and my mother took it as a big failure for her healing skills. So she blamed herself for the death of this… _Queen_." She finished lowering her head in shame.

"What would a Queen be doing at Leanna's, in the middle of nowhere! Instead of being in her castle surrounded by dozens of physicians and doctors?" Rapunzel asked with a whisper.

Anna looked at them again and started scratching her head, as if thinking, "Well… Hah… Here's the thing. Whenever I ask Brandon _that_, he just shut me up a-and close the subject, then just walk away!" She said flailing her hands in the air. "Once I even asked her and-… She… She started to cry."

Aiden was silent. _No wonder why I hear her cry sometimes at night… Praying to someone for forgiveness._ He thought looking at where Leanna headed.

The four of them turned to stare at the door that the enigmatic Leanna just went out from, an utter silence between them, all wondering what's Leanna's real story, then Rapunzel was the first to break the silence.

"Sooo… What was our task again?" She asked.

"Oh! Right!...Tyler said we should sneak inside a castle, and try our best to find the King's crown. He said it have a great value, and that it will be enough to feed many of the poor for months." Anna described.

"Another crown?!" Aiden whined placing his hand on his forehead.

"Leave that to me!" Flynn bragged.

"Oh, don't start with the 'I stole the crown of Corona' with us… You already did!" Rapunzel paused, then, "A million times!" She added, making Aiden and Anna laugh, and received a frown from Flynn.

"We'll move tonight." Anna suggested.

"Wait. Aren't you going to tell your mother?" Flynn asked, suspicious.

Anna felt guilty for a second, but she shook it away, "Tyler will tell her!... That's not a problem. Besides, she'll be pretty busy... Like always." She argued.

"Anyway…" Aiden tried to get back to topic, "Anna, which king's crown we are supposed to get?"

Anna felt a shiver in her body. This was her first task, though she knew it was really dangerous to take, and that she would be hanged if she got caught, but that was what she was trained all her life for, and she wouldn't fail them. She looked at Aiden with determined eyes,

"Arendelle."

* * *

The Four rode out of the fort at night, hoping for their arrival to the kingdom to be around dawn, enough for them to plan their actions before it could get dark again and before it was time for their mission to start.

Anna felt a bit worried since it was her very first quest, and she never really traveled_ that_ far from the fort. The fort walls always gave her the sense of security and peace, but now, she had to face the sense of being a thief.

As they rode, each two on a horse, for they knew that having a group of cavaliers would mostly likely draw attention, and that was not what thieves wanted. Rapunzel was with Flynn on a white horse, Maximus, and Anna was with Aiden on a black horse with white Half Cannons, Ebony. Rapunzel peeked at Anna and smiled sympathetically. She knew the strawberry-blonde was nervous.

"Hey…" Rapunzel comforted her, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Anna looked at Rapunzel and she gave back a smile, "Hey." She said with a low reazssuring voice.

"Are you okay?" She asked, receiving a nod.

"Don't worry, Anna!" Flynn assured, "It's simple: We sneak in. Grab the crown. Sneak out. That's it!" He tried to cheer but failed miserably, receiving a punch on the back from Rapunzel.

"Uhm… What Flynn was trying to say is," Aiden spoke, looking at Anna who was behind him, from his shoulder. "That we have your back, Anna. Nothing to worry about… Besides, it's not like we're going to find a monster inside the castle or anything." He joked.

"I know, I know. And…Thank you." Anna smiled fondly at her friends.

"For what?" Aiden asked, a bit confused.

"For being _you_… All of you." Anna replied, glancing to the side at Rapunzel and Flynn, who returned the smile. "I don't know what I would have done without you guys."

"We are _one_ now, Anna… One guild. One family. Living in one-" Rapunzel was saying before she was cut off by Flynn.

"Kingdom!" Flynn pointed happily up front, but Rapunzel haven't noticed what he meant.

"It's a fort." She said crossing her arms, referring to their home back at the guild's fort.

"No, no! Not that!... Look!" Flynn corrected her while pointing again at the kingdom that was now clearly visible. "It's Arendelle!"

"And we're right on time!" Aiden noted, pointing at the rising sun.

"We'll have enough time to rest and then we'll explore the ways and roots of the Kingdom, so we can know our way out fast. If anything not preferable happens, hopefully we'll be able to run away." Aiden informed, making them all nod in acceptance, yet Anna couldn't help but to have a strange feeling in her stomach at the sight of the kingdom. _Have I been here before?_ She wondered.

* * *

"You. Did. WHAT?!" Leanna was pacing back and forth, anger and concern overwhelming her.

"I said, Anna is off to Arendelle with Aiden and the others." Tyler said flatly.

"HAVE YOU REALIZED WHAT YOU'VE DONE!?" Leanna turned and screamed in his face, bringing some of the people's eyes on her.

"I sent her on her first mission." He said ever so calm and a blank expression painted his face.

"I have spent all these years keeping her away from there, and now you send my daughter to her DOOM!?" She yelled trying hard not to attack this extremely and annoyingly calm old man until he stood up from his desk and yelled back.

"You know she is not _just_ your daughter anymore, but she is also a full member of the guild! She took her vows quite officially I recall!" He paused then, "And do you want me to remind you that she is NOT quite your daughter, Leanna Vincenburg." He finished sarcastically, using her full name to mock her from calling Princess Anna of Arendelle her daughter.

And that did it. Leanna's eye twitched. She couldn't take it anymore. The world turned red and the rage was consuming her as she charged at him with a fist held high.

"Why… Y-You…" Her voice vibrated from rage, "SON OF A-" Leanna was running towards him, her face was red, her eyes were flaring with rage, but she was held back by Brandon.

"Leanna!" He struggled to keep her put.

She was cursing and yelling at Tyler, not noticing that some of the members started to stare. "Leanna, STOP!" He grabbed her head gently and let her face meet his. Her flaring eyes turned to his gentle ones.

She saw his soothing expression, and felt her rage disappear. Brandon could see her blinking rapidly, as if she was waking up from something. He felt utterly relieved, knowing that she was out of her red flaring view. "Listen to me!... We can't do anything right now. She might have already arrived there."

Leanna felt her rage turn to extreme concern and then to sadness. _No…_ She loosened herself from his grip gently as to show him that she's calm, "Alright." She said defeated, lowering her head.

"What you can do now, is to pray for her safe return." He advised.

She lifted her head again to stare at him with teary, worried and pleading eyes as her hands started to shake, "I just… What if she was recognized? What if _he_ recog-" She suddenly was cut off by Brandon's hand on her mouth.

"No!" He whispered kindly, "She _will_ come back safe… She won't end up like Robin." He assured with a gentle and low voice.

She closed her eyes, keeping her tears from falling then she quickly remembered that she was being watched by many others, so she quickly stiffened and straightened her back, then her face returned to its usual blank and cold look. "Fine." She said to Brandon before she turned and gave Tyler one last glare. And boy she wished she could spit in his face, yet people were watching, and she didn't want to make another _scene_.

She walked out of the room, all eyes on her. The moment she turned her back on everyone, her face was quickly back to its pure concerned and scared look. _God, please bring her back to me. Don't let him see her!... She is not Robin, she is not Robin!_

* * *

As they walked around Arendelle, exploring the amazingly beautiful Kingdom and every one of them taking mental notes for tonight's plan, Anna smelled something. Her eyes closed slowly and she sniffled the air, "Chocolaaate…" She mumbled distractingly.

"What?" Aiden asked.

"Can't you smell it!?... It's chocolate!" She said enthusiastically. "Come on, I wanna get some!" She said, pulling Aiden by his arm.

"Hey, wait!" Flynn came rushing towards them, "Anna, I don't think it's a good time to buy chocolate right now." He reminded, gesturing at her guild's attire.

"Ah come on, you guys!" Rapunzel said while approaching them and rubbing her hands together for warmth, "The sooner we're done here, the better… Besides, why is this place so cold!? It's summer for goodness's sake!"

"I don't know. Maybe it's winter and we don't know it?" Anna mocked.

"Ha. Ha. Very funny." Rapunzel frowned, "I'm serious you guys, we're in the middle of July!"

"Well, summer heat never appealed to me." Flynn spoke, "I prefer winter."

Rapunzel gave Flynn a glare and opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by a loud throat clearing sound.

"Uhm… Back to the chocolate please?" Anna demanded sarcastically, making Rapunzel sigh.

"Fine fine fine!" Rapunzel said while waving her hands, "Let's go."

"YES!" Anna shouted in victory, hugging Rapunzel, nearly knocking her off.

They approached the stall, stared at the huge collection of chocolate in awe then the merchant finally spoke, snapping them to attention.

"What type of chocolate do you wish to buy, Ma'am?" He asked with an honest smile.

"Hmm, let's see… Dark, milk, with caramel, with hazelnuts, anything!" Anna decided while counting on her fingers, one by one, making her friends roll their eyes since she clearly chose everything.

"Alright, just give me a minute while I prepare them for you."

"Okay!"

Anna and Rapunzel decided to wait for the chocolatier while Aiden and Flynn decided to go and look for a place to settle in for tonight.

While waiting, Anna wandered off a little from the stall, whistling to herself for fun, then she saw a stall selling _Firewood?_ She thought, surprised that the stall was also busy with a lot of customers. _Why would someone sell firewood in the middle of summer?...Wait. Why are all these people rushing to buy!?_

Then suddenly, whispers crawled inside her ears, snapping her out of her thoughts. She turned and saw two men talking to what looked like secretly.

She whispered for Rapunzel to join her in her eavesdropping, "Pssst!... Rapunzel!"

Rapunzel reached Anna who pointed at the two men with a tilt of her head. Rapunzel looked confused at first, but both couldn't help their already winning curiosity. They leaned slightly so they could hear better, still pretending that they were having their own conversation so that the two men wouldn't get suspicious about them.

"Did you hear them yesterday?!" One man asked.

"Louder than ever!" The other one replied with worry. "My wife and I haven't slept for two days I tell you!"

"Us too, Percy. My children are waking up at night, terrified with nightmares! My wife keep insisting on moving from this town. She said it's cursed! But I can't just risk going away and give my sons a refugee' life." The man said, concern clear on his face.

"Not to mention the cold!... I have lived in Arendelle since I was cub, and I'm telling you, these _abnormal_ things only started happening after the disappearance of the Queen and Princess." Percy said.

"Well, at first I thought it was the injured princess's unfortunate treatments…" Percy's companion said while rubbing his chin.

"But the princess is long gone! It's been eight years! These screams just kept going routinely at night!... At first it was just the screams. But now, Arendelle faces unnatural blizzards and snow storms… Only, at night!... At NIGHT, Jefferson!" Percy said and fear was now shown on his face.

Anna gave Rapunzel a questioning and confused look, and Rapunzel only replied by shrugging her shoulders, so they continued their eavesdropping.

"Didn't you see what happened to poor old Oaken's shack at the last storm!?... It collapsed and flew off! The storm smashed and swallowed it! I'm telling you, something is haunting this place!" Jefferson said looking around nervously.

Percy scoffed, "I don't believe in this hallabaloo. I think, the king is hidin-" He was cut off by Jefferson's hand on his mouth.

"SSSHHH! SHUT IT PERCY!" Jefferson whispered urgently, though loudly enough for Anna and Rapunzel to hear. "Don't ever speak about the king! What if someone hears us right now!? Do you wanna end up like your brother!?... Hanged!... Do you?!"

Rapunzel and Anna gulped nervously. _Wow_, _looks like this king is overprotective of his reputation_. Anna thought.

Percy sighed when his friend remove his hand off his mouth, "I'm sorry… It's just… I miss him."

Jefferson placed both his hands on Percy's shoulders and smiled sympathetically, "Come now. Let's get some wood before it's Night time. I have a feeling it's gonna be a rough and cold night." He deadpanned.

"Like always." Percy said with a weak and not so heartily chuckle.

Rapunzel and Anna got out of their 'Blending mode' and exchanged confused faces.

"What was that all about?" Rapunzel asked.

"I have no idea." Anna shook her head, "All I understood was: Snowstorm, blizzards, screams and… Hanged!" Anna said, placing her palms around her neck as if mimicking a hanging rope.

"Nah! People around here are just paranoid." Flynn's voice came from behind them.

They quickly turned and saw both Aiden and Flynn approaching.

"You were eavesdropping too!?" Anna asked with both humor and anger in her voice.

"Well what should I say… We _are_ all thieves in the end." Aiden reasoned.

"Lower your voice, ya big buffalo!" Anna whispered, slapping his shoulder.

"Uh… Speaking of buffalos… What is that?!" Rapunzel spoke, bewildered, pointing at something behind Anna.

They all turned to follow Rapunzel's gaze and their eyes widened when they settled on a "Reindeer!" Anna shouted joyfully then quickly slapped her mouth when she noticed the young man next to the reindeer.

But it was too late. The man lifted his head and smiled awkwardly towards Anna.

_MAN, he's cute__! _Anna thought.

"I-I mean the reindeer!... The reindeer is cute, not you! Wait what?!" Anna blurted out loud, making Aiden and Flynn give her a confused look and making Rapunzel hold back a laughter but failed.

"Looks like someone is having _butterfliiiiess_!" Rapunzel teased with a sing-song.

"What?! NO!... I'm n-not having b-butterflies-" Anna was trying to defend but was cut off by Rapunzel's mocking tone.

"B-B-B-B-Butterflies!" Rapunzel stammered purposely to mock her, "Then why are you stumbling on your own words, HUH?" She asked with a smirk, resting her elbow on Anna's shoulder.

"Ahhh, shut uuup!" Anna whined, pulling away. "He's cute and everything but I don't think we are here for this." Anna was rambling, not noticing that the three in front of her were mouthing for her to stop talking and were pointing behind her. "We already have a lot of work to do tonight, a-and besides, he has a rein-!" Anna was talking awkwardly before her angrily-waving hands hit someone's face.

"Ow!" A man's voice came out.

Anna quickly turned, and she froze. In front of her was a blond man, with chocolate brown eyes and a big muscular chest, bigger than Aiden's too. Anna gazed at him in awe. _Are you even human?_ She thought, staring at the handsome man in front of her, then she noticed that he was rubbing his nose, so she snapped out of it, "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!" She said holding her hands up towards his nose in worry.

The man chuckled awkwardly then spoke, "No, no, it's fine. At least it's not broken." He joked.

Anna felt like she was about to faint, but her friends' giggles brought her back to reality, "I'm really sorry! I just didn't see you there, and my hand just flew out! And I didn't know I h-had this strength in me! I-I-I'm mean I'm just a girl and-" Anna was throwing random phrases when she was cut off by Flynn.

"Just a girl!?... You broke my smolder when you were ten!" He said both angry and teasy.

_Stop it! You are gonna scare him off! _Anna gave Flynn a glare.

"Ah, come on! It's not like you're dead!" Rapunzel teased Flynn.

Anna realized that she didn't introduce her friends yet. WAIT. She realized that she didn't even introduce herself! "Uhhhh… I'm… I'm Anna!" She said, holding her palm in up.

The man smiled and shook her hand. "Kristoff. Best ice harvester at your service." He bowed, "Oh! And this is Sven!" He said, pointing behind him at the hitched reindeer who was busy eating carrots.

"Oh! He is cute!" Anna said with a squeal, making Rapunzel smirk again. _Eh… Oh just stop it already! _She thought, frowning at Rapunzel. "Oh uhm… This is Rapunzel, Aiden and Flynn." She said pointing at them one by one, and as always, worth the habit, the three gave Kristoff a head bow and he replied with a wave. _S__uch for discipline, you guys… Hah… He really should see you guys EAT! _Anna thought before she was brought back to reality.

"Ma'am, I have your chocolate." A voice said, making the five of them turn.

It was the chocolatier holding a sack full with chocolate.

"Oh! Thank you!" Anna said, grabbing the sack then handed him some coins. _If only he wasn't here, I would have took that chocolate sack and scurried off… What?!... NO, Anna! You don't steal for your own selfish need! _Anna's thoughts were cut off again by Rapunzel's voice.

"Well, it was really nice meeting you, Kristoff." She said dragging Anna away, "But we have some plans to do."

"Oh s-sorry… Uhm… O-Okay! I'll see you guys later." He said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Bye, Kwistoff!" Anna shouted while waving her hand and had her mouth full with chocolate.

And the four were off, leaving the blond with a chuckle. "Bye, Anna." He whispered as he watched her go with a warm smile.

* * *

It was night time, and the four thieves were waiting for the citizens to go to slumber. They sat around a fire, outside the stables, shivering.

"GOD! I-I-It's f-f-freezing!" Rapunzel sat, shivering and covering herself with three cloaks, leaving only her eyes exposed.

The four thieves could already see the steam coming out from their mouths as they breathed.

"This is really strange." Aiden said as he watched the steam in amazement.

"Well, it's j-just like they s-s-said… Arendelle sure h-has cold summer n-nights." Anna said tucking her cloak tighter around herself.

"Now we know why everyone needed all this firewood." Aiden noted, holding his hands in front of the fire to warm them.

"I'm NEVER gonna visit this place in winter!" Flynn added.

"It's only a matter of time before we start our mission." Aiden reminded.

"So, just like w-we decided?... The s-sewers?" Anna asked, still shivering from the cold.

"Yup, it's the safest way." Aiden turned his head to look at the closed castle gates, then back at the fire with a scoff, "Well it's the only way, actually." He corrected.

"Eww, I h-hate the s-s-sewers! T-They smell r-really ba-" Rapunzel was trying to say when she jumped in surprise by a sudden shriek that echoed around the kingdom and into the mountains.

They all looked around shocked and confused, "What was that!?" Anna asked a bit afraid.

"I have no ide-" Aiden tried to say but the shriek came again, and it was much louder.

They quickly stood. All confused, scared and shocked, "It's coming from the castle!" Flynn noted, pointing at the royal castle with his chin.

"Uhm, now we also know what screams these… 'Supposed-to-be paranoid people' were talking about." Anna tried to joke but failed as another shriek came, and Anna could have sworn she heard it as a 'Please!' and was more shocked when sudden wind blew in their faces.

Everyone shielded their eyes until the freezing wind passed.

"Where the h-h-hell did the w-wind come f-f-from!?" Rapunzel tried to ask.

They exchanged confused looks then Flynn spoke again.

"It doesn't matter. Let's just do our business and head the hell out of this place as soon as we can." He suggested and sat back down, earning a nod from everyone as they followed his suit.

They sat around the fire, barely even feeling its warmth, listening to the sound of the flames and the wood snapping along with the screams that kept them extremely nervous and uncomfortable. They mentally prepared themselves to start their mission. _It's just like what Flynn said, right?_ Anna thought, cheering herself up for courage. _It's not like we're gonna find anything _insane_ in there._


	9. Unusual Feelings

**Olah peeps! I missed you so much! It's been so long! sowwie :x but i'm finally back! Exams are finished and i have finally free time to write :)**

**Hope you like this chapter :) Warning Warning...just warning :P**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter VIII : Unusual Feelings

"Akkhh, it stinks in here!" Anna spoke, her hand closing her nose, a grimace on her face, while she held her bow on her back.

"AAghh, we _are_ in the sewers Anna!...now can you stop whining!" Aiden deadpanned while carrying his spear.

"I know! And the more we go deeper the more it gets cold!" Rapunzel reminded the obvious.

They were walking in a tunnel, where the sewer water reached their knees, the horrid smells, so thick and cloying that they felt it permeating their clothes and skin, their noses burned, rats were swimming under them, yet they could barely see them as the water was a thick black-green color, and the only light they have, was Flynn's torch.

"Remind me to take a bubbly bath when we get back," Anna said.

"When we finish this, I'm _so_ gonna demand a vacation!" Flynn announced.

"Well, smells are better than screams, at least they stopped a while ago," Anna was saying then Aiden shushed her off,

"Do you hear that?" Aiden asked,

They silenced themselves so they can try and hear to what Aiden was talking about. And then they heard it, a man's laughter.

"Over their.." Aiden pointed up front where a ladder stood straight leading upwards.

"Come on!" Anna whispered, motioning with her hand for the others to follow her, "...stay silent!"

As they approached the ladder, they were able to hear an old immoral man's voice from the upper floor saying, "I'll be back in a minute now, darling",then they heard footsteps echoing, fading away, then a metal door to what looks like was heavy, creaks open then closes.

They reached the ladder, then looked up to see that there was a sewer doormat and in the middle of it, were three holes, allowing some of the light of the upper room to come down on them. They climbed the ladder silently, not willing to make the sound of their feet hitting the metal of the ladder to imitate. Aiden was first to lift the doormat _very _slightly allowing only their eyes to peek around. The first thing they saw was a huge thick metal door, with bottom bars, and behind the bars, was a dark room, barely visible yet, they saw a pale figure on the ground…a woman.

Their faces went slack, mouth slightly open, body unmoving, and color draining from their faces as they stared wide-eyed at something no one else could possibly believe to see, they just froze up to a point where they can hardly breathe, a haunted look splattered their faces, they couldn't blink, they _just _couldn't blink at such a mere sight.

There, a woman lay on the stony, harsh floor, unmoving, she was so skinny, her back facing them, yet just by a look, can be clearly described with one word, misery. She had pale as white yet bleeding skin, platinum oily, bloody and dirty loose hair spread on the floor, her back was bare from cloth, yet it wore raw, red gashes arbitrarily scattered all over it, strips of flesh torn, trickles of crimson blood seeped down it, dripping on the disgusting black stained floor, that Anna could only recognize as old and dried blood, her arms and legs were bare, bruised all over. The bruises were a multitude of hues, colors that normally should not be on someone's skin. There were garish purple splotches, roughly the size of a fist, while others were more grayish, but still looked just as bad. And they were all over her. It was horrible. And it wasn't just the bruises. There were scars, too. Lines across her body, like someone or _something_ had dug it's nails into her, tearing her flesh. Someone had clawed away at her, the gashes told the whole story. Deep knife cuts, and the thing that was suppose to cover her body barely did its job, she was practically nude, wrists and ankles overwhelmed with cuffs and chains. A broken mirror lay in the corner, and a broken bull whip lay on the other side. The four comrades could hardly bear to look at her.

Anna felt her heart ripped out, she felt like someone just stabbed her in it, she didn't know why she felt so overwhelmed with sorrows, she never felt so woeful, she wanted to just smash the door open and free this stranger, poor, miserable, tormented woman. Anna didn't understand what she was feeling towards this woman, perhaps Pity? Sadness ?Anger? Confusion? Sympathy? …Love?. _Who is this?! Why is she here!? Who did this to her? I need to get her out ! I…I…why do I even care!? Do…Do I know her!? _She was thinking before she felt a sudden headache, as she winced in pain, she was about to cry, not even knowing the reason, then she heard a voice. They couldn't see who, as the little line to peek in from only showed what's in front of them.

"Princess!" the voice whispered, making them all exchange utter confused looks.

_Princess?! _They all thought strangely in unison.

"Princess!...can you hear me?" the voice was gentle, concerned, full with worry.

"Is she dead?!" another voice called.

_Are they talking about this woman?! This probably dead woman?!...there is no way this is the prin- _Aiden thought before his eyes shot wider, as the pale poor _thing_ stirred, lifting her head just an inch from the ground ever so slowly.

They all felt faint, horrified, they could barely see in the dark yet they were able to see the woman's face which was covered with more bruises and blood, then the woman's voice came out, terribly weak, trembling, hoarse and barely heard, "K..Kai?.." the voice was so innocent, it sent shivers and stabs threw their hearts. Then, the woman started to open her eyes very slowly, even her eyelids were slightly shaking, as she tried to open them as if she was using all her mighty strength to just do this simple movement. Then they saw it, their jaw fell as they stared at unnaturally impossible cyan eyes. Albeit these eyes were brilliantly beautiful, they showed agony, misery, suffer…and guilt.

Anna felt another wave of pain in her head, and this time she whimpered silently, making Aiden and the others give her a concerned look, and Rapunzel mouthed, "Are you okay?" placing a hand on Anna's shoulder, and she received a slow reassuring nod from Anna.

"Oh thank goodness!...i thought…I thought he killed you!" Kai said relieved

The princess let her head fall again, she was exhausted, it looked as if she used all her energy to just assure this man, Kai, that she was okay. Which clearly showed, she wasn't. Then they heard another woman asked.

"Why did you do that, princess?" she asked her voice so full with guilt and regret, making the thieves more confused, they didn't understand why would she ask that to this dying princess. Then they heard her again, the princess.

"I….its b-because…it's the only th-thing that….reminds me.." she was trying to say through coughs, her voice so weak and shaking, her head still resting on the ground, she took a shaky breath then, "That I am at least a p-princess…and not j-just….an unholy..M-Monster." She finished with a sigh full with sorrow.

"NO!...you don't deserve this!" the woman screamed, "I am a criminal! Not you! I am I am! I did the bad things ! why would you tell him that you would take MY punishment!? WHY WHY!?"

Anna felt her heart stop, _would_ _she really sacrifice herself and take the punishment for a total stranger…and criminal ?! why did she even say she's a monster? _She thought.

The princess opened her mouth to speak again, then her eyes shot wide with terror and panic when they all heard the main dungeon door being unlocked with keys. They were shocked to see the princess showed sudden strength and lifted herself in a sitting position, her dirty bangs fell upon her face, chest heaving and dropping incredibly fast from distress. "No! please no! he's coming! HE'S COMING!" the princess screamed making the thieves themselves panic. The room temperature dropped incredibly fast, making the thieves shiver.

"Princess! Princess look at me! LOOK AT ME!" Kai screamed gripping his bars, "Don't show him you're scared!" he screamed yet she didn't seem to listen, she already have passed scared, she was horrified.

"KAI! HELP ME!...He's coming to hurt me! He'll hurt me! PLEASE No, NO, NO!" the frightened princess screamed, darting her eyes and head around, making her dirty loose hair swing as she did, trying desperately to find somewhere to hide, she crawled away from her cellar door, making the chains rattle. She was trembling, her hands flew to her chest, "HELP ME!... KAI HELP ME PLEASE! STOP HIM STOP HIM STOP HIM!...the pain….THE PAIN!"

"Princess!...Princess look here!" Kai tried hopelessly to draw her attention to him yet she was clearly in her own panicking world, not even showing any sign that she even heard him, all she could hear was the dungeon door opening. Kai couldn't take it anymore, he started crying himself, he fell to his knees surrendering, sliding down the bars, yet he found his last voice say, "Princess…I'm…I'm sorry I'm sorry..i can't…j-just-" he sighed then" just close your eyes…let it pass….let it pa-" he fell to the floor sobbing.

The princess finally obliged, she cowered in fear, laid back on the floor in a ball, she brought her hands to her face and closed her eyes, waiting for whoever is behind that door.

The four thieves watched, silently, bewildered, shocked, as a tall regal man came in, followed by a creepy looking old man. Anna's shoulders lifted, she bit her lip and cowered a bit, she couldn't help but feel so afraid as she stared at this strawberry-blond man in front of her, as if strangely and instinctively felt unease upon looking at him. He was walking so calmly, as if he was about to have a cup of tea, his footsteps echoed in the dungeon, with every tap of his foot, made Anna blink.

_Who are these two!?_ Anna thought, her eyes now on the frightened princess, as if the question was addressed to her. Anna saw the other prisoners cowering away as he passed.

The two men reached the princess's cellar door, opened it, making the princess whimper as she heard it, her hands on her eyes, her tortured body quivering, making some of the chains to send barely heard rattles.

"Now now," the tall man comforted, making her sob as he approached her.

_That voice.. _Anna was surprised for she felt that this voice was so familiar, but she was brought back from her thoughts when another pain hit her head making her wince again.

The strawberry-blond man knelt next to the princess, "You shouldn't have taken the punishment of that bitch over there, yet you insisted, and I was just obliging your desires!" The man mocked cheerfully, "And now, It's time for your training," he informed placing his hand on Elsa's shoulder, who quickly flinched away, yet in place, from his touch. "Don't worry," he said brushing her bangs from her face, "I trust you'll get it this time." He said standing, making her cry out another sorrowful, muffled from her hands on her face, loud sob.

"Please…please" Elsa begged with a breath, yet her voice barely was heard, as her hands still covered her face.

Anna started to shake her head slowly to herself, in disbelieve, _Why is she so afraid of him? What will he do to her?! Did he do all this ?! _She thought staring at Elsa's injured body.

The creepy looking old man at the other end, came to the side of the tall one, and bowed, "Do you want me to start, your majesty?" he said with a smirk.

The four thieves gasped silently, their eyes were about to blow out from shock, Rapunzel squished her mouth with her hands, not willing to make a sound, Flynn and Aiden gulped, Anna just….froze. They looked at each other in utter disbelieve and surprise.

_THAT'S THE KING!?_ They all thought, exchanging looks, before they turned their head to the scene up front.

The king nodded to the old man, before he reached the table behind him, where glass cups laid on it, arranged neatly. He grabbed one of the cups in his hands, smirked then looked at Elsa with determined eyes.

Anna was shocked as she saw the princess lowered her hands, revealing an immense amount of tears, and a woeful, surrendered look, before the princess started to turn on her stomach, and laid on the floor stretched, as if she was commanded to do so.

Elsa knew what she was suppose to do now, there is no way to run, no way to hide, just like every claimed to be training, she was suppose to lay on her stomach, still shackled, and try and hold the glass cup without freezing it, yet she has to do all this, while Mad had to slash her back with his knife. _This will help you get full control of your curse, Elsa_. She remembered her father's words. He told her that pain let her powers get loosen dangerously, so if she was trained with pain, she will have full control over them. Elsa felt so broken, as she tried to lay on her stomach, she winced at every movement she made, the bruises and wounds already painful, _just close your eyes, Elsa…close your eyes! _She remembered Kai's daily advice. Elsa let out one more last sob, before she let her forehead rest on the ground and she closed her eyes, her shackled, yet bare hands stretched above her, and she waited for Mad to start, trembling, scared, silent.

Mad came above her, and he quickly blindfolded her with a dirty piece of cloth, making her whimper again at his touch, before he rushed to the table and held a knife. He brushed the knife feeling its smooth touch, and smirked with a sanguine grin.

The king approached Elsa, and placed the glass cup in front of her hands, motioning for her to hold it.

The sound of the cup being placed on the floor, made Elsa squeeze her already blindfolded eyes tighter. Elsa was blind now, she couldn't see where Mad was, nor her father, yet she knew where the cup was. She was used to this weekly training, she held her shaky, trembling hand up, before she grabbed the cup as if instinctively, and waited hopelessly.

The four thieves didn't understand what's happening in front of them. The cup, the knife, the king, the princess, the creepy guy, the chains, the blood, they were totally lost for words. They stared at the scene, horrified yet more curiously waiting.

"We are just trying to help you," The king lied. "you know why you're here don't you?" the king started caressing Elsa's hair, making her flinch, "Tell me, why are you here?" he asked her.

"b-b-because..i deserve this." She replied.

"why?" he asked again,

"I'm a-a-a criminal…m-monster…murderer.." she said again before she started crying a again.

"Good girl." The king said before he leaned forward and kissed her head.

Mad started approaching Elsa, making her breath more loudly and faster. The knife shook violently in his hand as he approached her, his lip quivering with anticipation, begging for bloodshed. He placed the tip of the knife on her back, making her whimper. He pressed the knife harder on her back, making her whimper again louder, then he started sliding the knife slowly on her back, cutting, enjoying every reveal of new fresh blood out, making her press her lips tightly close, not willing to scream, her hand gripped the glass like she was holding for dear life, _don't scream don't scream don't SCREAM!_ Elsa tried desperately to encourage herself, tears soaked the blindfold.

Rapunzel couldn't bear to look, she closed her eyes with her hands, while Aiden and Flynn stared, jaw slightly open. Anna's eyes felt warm, not blinking once, tears came down her cheeks as she watches the knife sliding slowly, forming rivers of blood on the princess's back. She felt her back itching at the sight in front of her, as if she was feeling the pain, she started breathing fast, she was starting to panic.

Mad kept sliding down, forming a crimson line of a cut, Elsa couldn't bear it anymore, "mmmmm!" she let out a scream of pain, from behind her closed lips and suddenly the glass in her hand froze entirely, and ice formed underneath her. Mad laughed evilly, removing the knife, while the king shook his head violently, "NO you bitch! not like that!" The king yelled angrily, snatching the frozen glass from her grip.

"I-I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please P-Papa, I'm s-s-sorry!" Elsa begged, trembling, trying to forget about the fresh pain on her back.

Rapunzel had it, her brain couldn't take it anymore, where did ice come from?! What is that?! What's happening!? The ice…the knife…the blood! She thought before she suddenly felt faint. Rapunzel went limp and Flynn quickly held her, his face full with fear and concern. He turned to Aiden and punched him on the shoulder so he can grab his attention, "We should go now!" he whispered.

Aiden, shocked, his mind barely in reality, nodded quickly, turned to Anna and his eyebrows furrowed in concern. Anna just stood there. Unmoving, silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Anna?" he asked, his voice worried, can only be heard by the two of them. She did not respond, her eyes kept locked on the scene upfront, he didn't have time for Anna's frozen reaction, they had to get out of here as soon as possible. Aiden started shaking Anna's shoulder, desperate for her to hear him, but she still did not respond, as she watches these men torturing this woman. A father torturing his daughter.

The king went to the table again, after he threw the now-frozen glass to the other side of the room. He grabbed another cup, held it firmly, "You better not freeze this one." He warned.

The four thieves were very much confused and scared to even think about what the king meant with all these warnings and threats. Freezing, the ice, the dying princess, the cruel king, the disgusting necromancer, they didn't have time to adjust their minds straight and solve the puzzle, the room was dark, all they wanted to do is to run out of this hell.

The king walked towards Elsa, placed the new glass in front of Elsa's cuffed hands. "Hold it." He said, his voice terribly cruel.

Elsa did not wait another minute, she didn't want him to get more furious if she refused; in which definitely she won't do such a thing; so she held her shaky hand high enough to grab the glass, and waited, eyes closed, blindfolded, forehead rested on the ground, she couldn't see, she didn't even wanted to see, but she heard him, Mad's footsteps approaching, in which made her very, very tense. _Please let it finish soon…please please please…just close your eyes, close your eyes _She prayed for God, for anyone who can hear her, and stop this madness.

Mad stood above her, "Don't fight it, darling…you will only make it worse." He said his voice dripping poison.

"Conceal. Don't feel." The king reminded. "Monsters should not feel, they are not born to have feelings, they are only born to destroy, and I'm trying my best to help you not turn into one."

Elsa only nodded quickly, not willing to argue at all, something she haven't done in 15 years. _I will do whatever you want just let it end…let it end! _She thought, hopeless.

The king gave Mad a nod, motioning for him to continue. Before this lunatic could continue, he licked the blood out of the knife.

The thieves already saw enough, Aiden quickly motioned for Flynn, whom was holding the unconscious body of Rapunzel, to get out of here now. Flynn nodded and climbed quickly down the ladder, before he raced to the sewer exit. Aiden turned to Anna, whom was still frozen, "Anna come on! We have to get out of here now!", Anna, her eyes still staring up front only started shaking her head in disagreement, in which was the first sign that she was back to reality. _No..No we can't leave her!_ She thought, but Aiden didn't wait for her to reply, he grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the scene. Anna, still shocked, didn't struggle, she just allowed him to pull her back into the tunnels, her mind was still with the princess and this horrible father, then she heard it again, but this time, it wasn't a held back scream, instead it was a loud shriek...The princess's shriek, followed by the sudden sound of shattered glass, and another angry yell from the king. "Conceal! I SAID CONCEAL!" the king's voice was full with rage and disappointment. Before she was shoved out of the exit door, Anna heard a yelp of pain, she knew whom it came from.

Aiden pulled her finally out of the sewer exit, meeting Flynn and Rapunzel who was finally awake. The four of them were panting, trying to understand what just happened, traumatized and bewildered, all of them staring at the door behind them, then Anna finally mumbled something. The three turned to face her, "What?" Rapunzel asked, her voice a bit weak.

"We have to go back!" Anna said louder, making her friends gap at her.

"Anna what are you saying?! Didn't you see what happened in there !" Rapunzel spoke, concerned about her friend's lost mind. _Did she lose her mind?!_ She thought.

"Anna, stop it! We can't go back!" Flynn demanded, yet his voice held a bit of fear.

"No!..no! we can't leave her there! _I_ can't leave her there !...Aiden come on!" Anna started walking towards the entrance again, but was held back by Aiden's rough grip.

"NO! Anna!...this is definitely something no one was suppose to see! Why do you think the king is hiding all this! He doesn't want anyone to see this! And yet we just did! This is too dangerous! We will not even tell anyone back at the fort do you understand ?! even your mother Anna!" he yelled at her, while holding her shoulders forcing her face to meet his. "You listen to me now okay! We are NOT going back!" he commanded. "Come on..lets move!" he said before he started walking away.

Anna still, shocked and defeated, lowered her head and stared at the ground with disappointment, before she felt a hand on her shoulder, "Come on Anna," Rapunzel's soothing voice spoke, "He is right." Rapunzel said before she started pulling Anna to follow her gingerly, but Anna pulled away,

"Rapunzel listen to me! there is something…strange, about this woman," Anna said her voice low and hurt.

"Anna what we saw today is beyond strange." Rapunzel replied.

"No no! I mean….i felt…I felt something, like I _had_ to help her, I don't know why! But I felt so…its.." Anna was trying to say but surprised Rapunzel with tears coming down her cheeks and she sobbed.

Rapunzel's eyes widened she rushed to check on her suddenly crying friend, "Anna are you crying?!" she asked concerned.

"Rapunzel…I don't know what is happening to me, I never felt so…sad! Why do I even care?! I don't know! I just…i feel like I've known her for a very long time!" Anna tried to explain though her cries.

"Shhh, don't worry now Anna, you're just shocked that's all, and Aiden is right, this_ is_ something no person should see." Rapunzel said, whipping Anna's tears with her thumb, then started pulling her away from the entrance again.

Anna sighed, took one last look at the entrance, then turned and followed the others, sadness splattering her face, then turned into a determined expression, _I don't care what Aiden said, my mother should know about this. She would understand me. I _will_ free her._

* * *

Mad pressed the knife harder on Elsa's back, and started sliding down, bringing life to red cuts. Elsa held her mouth shut, the pain was incredibly unbearable, she squeezed her hand around the glass harder, her eyes can't get any more shut, _no no no no don't scream don't scream…you will only make it worse!…you just deserve this! …Don't scream ! Just close your eyes! Don't scream! Just close your eyes! don't- _Elsa couldn't handle It anymore, "aaaAAGGGGHHHHH!" she let out the loudest screech of agony her voice can master, the cup in her grip, immediately froze again, but this time, the ice was too cold, the glass shattered in her hand, shards of glass flew around the room. Mad backed away again, he knew the king is furious, so he just smirked and watched in amusement. The king groaned in rage, then started yelling at her, "Conceal! I SAID CONCEAL!" he yelled before he ran towards her, kicking her in the belly, making her roll onto her side, and yelp in pain. The king kneeled quickly next to her, removed her tear soaked blindfold, revealing her red puffy eyes, and bloody face, he gripped her hair, and forced her to look into his eyes, making her whimper the more louder, "I-I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm s-s-sorry! I didn't mean it PAPA please please! I'm sorry!" she tried to beg, trying to forget the pain on her back, the pain in her stomach, the pain overwhelming her whole body. The king gripped her hair harder then spoke with his furious, horrifying voice,

"You are nothing but failing filth! Nothing but a piece of trash laying in this castle! Nothing! …nothing but a unholy monster! A criminal! A murderer! An abomination! A freak!...you think your mother and sister deserve what you've done to them!? DO YOU!?" he slapped her, and she yelped in pain, "DO YOU?! TELL MEEE!" he yelled again, not allowing himself or her to breath. She only replied shaking her already quivering head vigorously and a loud trembling, frightened sob, trying to turn her head, trying not to look inside the demon's eyes. The king finally let go of her, his rage dissipating to oblivion, he sighed, "I told you to conceal, you brought this upon yourself," he said before he motioned for Mad to get out of the room, and Mad frowned, but obliged. _Its finally finished! its finished! He stopped!_ She thought, feeling desperately joyful, tonight's torture had come to an end. The king turned to his trembling daughter, and kneeled, "You do know I am trying to help you, right Elsa?" he asked his voice intimidating.

Elsa nodded quickly. "Y-Y-Yes Yes.." she tried to answer.

"And you do know why you are being punished…" he scoffed then, "beside the training of course."

Elsa nodded again, silently. The king gave her a stern look, Elsa knew what it meant, and she spoke again, "B-Because…I-I-I Killed…them." She said new tears starting to form at the corner of her eyes.

"Who?.." the king continued, he wanted her to say it, aloud, he wanted her to hear it every day and every night.

Elsa tears finally ran down her cheeks, mixing with her sweaty, muddy and soaked face, "M-Mama..a-and Anna," she managed to say before she broke into cries.

"Good, never forget that." The king said stroking her head, whilst she cried, hiding her face with her trembling hands in shame.

The king stood, walked towards the door, then spoke again, his back still turned to her, "I love you Elsa." He said, his voice showing utter lie. Elsa didn't respond, she kept crying silently. "I said...I. Love you. Elsa." he said, this time his voice horrifyingly intimating, commanding and warning. Elsa finally managed to stop her cries for a split second and managed to speak her daily words, "I love you t-too…P-Papa." She said before her cries quickly returned, the king closed the door, and locked it, the sound of his footsteps fading away gave Elsa utter relief. She tried to peek at the broken mirror, the mirror _she_ broke, _I killed the only ones that ever loved me…the only ones that ever will. Because I'm nothing but a beast amongst men._

There, lay silently, broken, tortured and alone, Princess Elsa Of Arendelle, the tormented body, the afflicted soul.

* * *

**REVIEWWWWW! PLEASE...next chap shall be a hell of great one.**

**Can't wait to continue! please tell me if you're finding this story to your liking :)**

**Next Chapter : Royalty Amongst Thieves**


	10. Intruder

**Hello again, just wanted to tell you that this chapter is NOT Royalty Amongst Thieves...cause i didn't honestly think the chapter could be this long so i had to split it in two!...after this one...Royalty Amongst Thieves shall be :)**

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter IX : Intruder

Anna, Aiden, Rapunzel and Flynn ran through Arendelle's empty cold streets, trying hard enough not to be seen by anyone, not a hard task, for all Arendelle's citizens were hiding in their homes, afraid of God's rash to be released upon them at any time.

"Where is everyone?" asked Flynn while following the others.

"It doesn't matter, let's just get out of here before anyone sees us," Aiden commanded.

They reached the town's outside barn, where foreign visitors and refugee's horses are kept. They quickly mounted their horses, and galloped out to the forest. All oblivious to the blonde man's eyes on them.

Kristoff was laying behind the barn on a pile of hay, next to his sled and loyal reindeer, Sven. Growing up as an orphan is a harsh life, and definitely if you were raised alone in the streets, life can be tough, but it makes people tougher. Kristoff had no home, no family, all what he has is his ice business and reindeer. He was trying to amuse himself to sleep, singing his own written Reindeer Song, when he heard multiple voices, coming from inside the barn. "What the..?" he quickly stood up, and peeked from the window to see who was inside at such an hour, "Anna?" he whispered to himself.

There, he saw her with the others, and none of them looked happy, or even calm for that matter, none of them showed any sign of their friendly and lovable face from when he met them earlier. They all looked scared and nervous, yet Anna looked horrified, doleful, and absent, and that made him worry more.

"Come on you guys, move it move it!" Aiden motioned for the other's to get inside faster.

"Max, come here boy!.." Flynn called his white loyal horse, before he grabbed Rapunzel's hand gently, "Rapunzel, mount up." he said before mounting behind her.

"Anna come on!" Aiden was having hard times trying to keep Anna focused, her mind was still going back to the hell she saw. He groaned, "Anna, I know what we saw tonight, was….unbearable to you-" he was trying to comfort her, but she snapped at him, cutting him off.

"Unbearable for _me_!? Do you think what we saw is unbearable to anyone! Do you?!" she yelled at him with fury, "Stop treating me like I'm some sort of a child!"

"Anna, I didn't mean-" Aiden was trying to explain for her that he was only worried about her and the others, but Anna quickly shut him up again.

"Save it!" she held her hand up to his face, "I may have listened to you this time, but I'm not gonna let you tell me what I should and should not do!..."

"I just wanted us to get out of here safely!...i want to protect you!" he reasoned

"I don't need protection! I can take care of myself! You know that! Why are you always like that!? Why do you always treat me like I'm nothing but vulnerable! Like I can't take care of myself! Tell me! WHAT DO YOU WANT!?" she snapped back.

"I DON'T WANT YOU TO END UP LIKE NANCY!" he finally spoke his mind.

Anna quickly stopped, heartbroken, ashamed of what she was saying moments ago, her face quickly softened, and shocked as she saw tears forming on the corner of Aiden's green eyes. Rapunzel and Flynn stayed silent, and lowered their heads. Anna finally realized why Aiden was so protective of her, he was like a brother to her, they were close enough to tell anything to each other, even if it involves grief.

* * *

Nancy, Aiden's big sister, was tortured then hanged by the act of theft when she tried to steal a piece of bread for her starving 5 years old brother, Aiden. She was brought to King Ace Of Uloenna, whom sentenced her to her unfortunate death, without even hearing her plead. Aiden watched from behind the crowds, as his sister's body dangled from the gibbet. It's when he decided to take revenge. He snuck inside the king's castle, stole both his crown and sword. The next morning, Uloenna's citizens were shocked to see the king's sword hung from where Nancy's body once dangled. The sword impaled a white pigeon, while its blood dripped on the ground, on the sword's grip was the king's crown. It is a gesture of great humiliation for the monarch. In Uloenna, such an act is meant to explain one thing, Injustice. It was when Aiden met the thieves, they offered him a home, a family and a shelter away from Uloenna, in return for his cunning skills. For a 5 year old with no parents or even a family member anymore, alone in the streets, he had no choice but to accept. It was when Aiden's life as a real thief started.

* * *

Aiden looked away from Anna, trying to hide his tears, "You saw what this man did….you saw what he did to his _own_ daughter…" he spoke his voice low and hurt. "If even _she_ doesn't matter to him, What do you think he would do to _you_ if he caught us?"

_What are they talking about?!_ Kristoff thought confused.

Anna felt her heart ache, she didn't mean to hurt Aiden, reminding him of his past was the worst thing she ever did. "Aiden, I'm sorry…I ..i didn't understand that you thought like that.." she tried to reach for his shoulder but he shrugged away.

"I tried to convince her not to do it….i tried to tell her that we can just….beg for food." He spoke again his voice cracking.

Anna knew what Aiden meant, she knew how he felt guilty for his sister's death. "Aiden no! it wasn't your fault!" she forced him to look at her, as she placed her soothing hand on his wet from tears cheek, "I am the luckiest girl to have _you_ to protect me." She said with a radiant, warm smile, her voice so soft that even made Aiden grin. Rapunzel and Flynn smiled proudly at them. They knew both Anna and Aiden were very close, Aiden was like a brother to Anna, he always tries to keep her safe, and she always tries to tease him. But nevertheless, they love each other.

"Okay…uhm, guys we have to go before anyone sees us, remember!" Flynn reminded, receiving a punch on his back from Rapunzel.

"y-yes of course," Aiden said, whipping his tears in embarrassment quickly, "come on Anna." Aiden said with a warm smile.

Anna rolled her eyes playfully before she nodded, and mounted the mare. Aiden mounted behind her. And they were off.

Kristoff stared at them for a minute, before he was snapped back by his reindeer's snort, he wanted to just go back and sleep on the hay, but his curiosity defeated him. "Sven come here," he leaded the reindeer to the sled, before he hooked him to it, climb up the sled, "Come on boy, go!" he whispered for his reindeer to move forward. Kristoff, wanted to follow them, he wanted to know where they were going, what were they talking about, why were they in a hurry, why were they so scared at first and why they are even here in Arendelle.

* * *

As the fort came to a view, there anxiety grew stronger. How could they ever explain their empty handed return without revealing the nightmare they faced back there.

Flynn sighed, "Remember, I'll do the talking, you just try not to look like you've seen a ghost." He suggest.

"I wish we saw a ghost instead."Rapunzel deadpanned.

"No one should know, do you hear me?" Aiden demanded, receiving a nod from both Rapunzel and Flynn, yet Anna kept silent, "Anna." He said with a stern voice, he knew she wouldn't listen to him, so he had to make sure she will not do anything hasty or reckless.

Anna sighed, "I have to tell mother at least Aiden, please!" she tried to convince him, and her soft voice help her success.

Aiden sighed heavily as if exhaling away a large amount of weight on his shoulders. "Very well…just your mother, and be sure to do it in private…in fact, I'll be with you." He noted making both Rapunzel and Flynn to give him a confused look, but he only shook his head and shrugged his shoulders in defeat with a surrendered grin. Anna hugged him from behind, "Thank you." She breathed with a radiant smile.

As the fort became closer, the four herd one of the guarding members shout happily, "It's Anna and the others!"

"They're back!" another shouted.

* * *

People started rounding them, greeting them, as they dismounted their horses, all oblivious to the haunted faces of the four thieves. The moment Anna's feet welcomed the ground, she heard a familiar voice calling her from behind.

"Anna!"

Anna turned and grinned nervously. There, her mother was running towards her, shouting her name. Leanna quickly grabbed Anna in a hug, she was panting and… _trembling?_ Anna thought whilst hugging her mother and furrowed her eyebrows in concern. Leanna broke from the hug, "You got me worried sick!" Leanna said, her voice high.

"Why didn't you tell me about your task before you went?! Why did you hide it from me!? You should have asked me first! What were you thinking?!" Leanna showered Anna with concerned questions, which made Anna a bit angry but she shook it off as she saw the dark circles under Leanna's eyes.

"Mother I have to tell you something….in private." Anna tried to whisper enough for only she and Leanna could hear, whilst holding Leanna's hand tightly. Yet Leanna wasn't focusing enough. The day she discovered that Anna went to Arendelle, she didn't sleep, she didn't eat, and worry and fear overwhelmed her, as she couldn't even stand still, pacing around her room back and forth, even with Brandon's soothing trials to calm her down. Leanna turned with an angry face towards the other three thieves, she was about to shout at them then Tyler appeared, and her anger turned to rage.

"YOU!...i told you not to let her go off like that! What if something happens to her !" Leanna was yelling at him, making some of the crowd to back away a bit for them to see the scene descending in front of them.

"Mother, listen to me! I have-" Anna was trying to pull her mother away. She had to tell her, yet her mother didn't give her a chance to speak,

"NO! you are not going back there again! Do you hear me! what if you got hurt! What if _he_ caught you!" Leanna was yelling at Anna now, her rage still consuming her, not noticing her daughter's hurt face but she did notice Anna's face turned red and angry.

"STOP IT! Enough enough!" Anna yelled back, making Leanna freeze in place, eyes wide, mouth slightly open in for the first time in forever, Anna just yelled at Leanna's face, not just that, but in front of the whole guild. Rapunzel, Flynn and Aiden watched in shock, as Anna spilled her furious mind on her mother.

"I'm sick of all of you treating me like I'm a helpless child!" Anna yelled.

"I'm just trying to-" Leanna reasoned her voice full with concern.

"Protect me?!" Anna cut her off before she laughed sarcastically, "Hah, that's what you are always trying to do! Hiding me from the world! Why mother ha!? Why!? Tell me why are you so afraid of the outside world! HIDING IN HERE LIKE RATS! WHY?!"

"You don't know anything about what's out there! I've sacrificed my whole life for you! One even paid for it with her _own_!" Leanna yelled back, oblivious to the staring eyes of the other members and the smirk on Tyler's face.

_And it's all because of me! She died because of me!_ Leanna thought.

_What ?! what is she talking about?! _Anna thought bewildered.

"You don't know! You've never faced Suffering!...nor Starvation! FEAR! PAIN! You don't know any of THESE! BECAUSE I KEPT YOU AWAY FROM THEM!" she said flailing with her hands in rage.

"I've seen suffering and pain with my own eyes last night." Anna mumbled silently, not allowing anyone to hear her.

Leanna stared at her for a minute, her hands shaking from her outburst, eyes twitching, _did I just yell at her? _She thought. The Guild members were all shocked. Leanna just showed anger towards Anna for the first time since they came to the fort. The stern and rigid Leanna, who never gave Anna anything other than love, smiles and hugs, just reacted the opposite way. Leanna turned her face to meet Tyler's with a wrathful and disgusted look that can only mean one thing, _this is all your fault!_ She thought, but he just kept staring at her, his face blank. She was about to rip his eyes out of that face, when Anna's angry voice spoke again.

"If you can just… listen to me! I have to tell-" Anna suddenly stopped, her eyes darted around the ground as if thinking of something, she turned to give her three friends an absent look, and they returned it with a confused one. Then she spoke again, still staring at her friends,

"You know what…" she said, then turned to look into her mother's eyes, "Nevermind." She turned on her heels, gave the three one last look, in which they understood what it meant, and it wasn't pleasant, then she walked away into the sanctuary, the crowd parting as she walked away from her still staring and frozen mother. The crowd started to separate, everyone returning to their own business, Leanna kept staring at Anna, left alone in the middle of the fort square.

"Oh boy…" Flynn said while resting his head in his hands.

"She is definitely up to something." Rapunzel noted while rubbing her arm nervously.

"She's gonna do it." Aiden said his eyes not trading from Anna's figure.

"What?" Rapunzel said with a bitter laugh.

"She's going back!" he said pointing at where Anna went with both his hands.

The three didn't wait another minute, they rushed to follow her before she does anything crazy.

* * *

Leanna was about to break, but she wouldn't allow herself to do so in front of the others, she quickly strode towards her room inside the sanctuary, followed by Brandon who saw the whole scene. Leanna rushed inside her room and slammed the door behind her, she walked slowly towards her bed, her arms wrapped around her stomach, then she turned quickly as the bedroom door opened, revealing Brandon. She looked at him with teary eyes. Brandon was the only one beside Anna, allowed to see any sign of emotion from Leanna as he was the one who helped the girl escape her father , "I can't take this anymore." She breathed, tears coming down her cheeks, "I have to tell her." She said lowering her head, "She deserves every right to know what I did, why I did it, and what is happening." She started crying, closed her eyes and quickly placed her hand on her mouth, trying to muffle her cries. Brandon started walking towards her, "No…you know we cannot tell her now," he said in a soothing voice, "I know it's very hard for you, but we cannot tell her right now, she is not ready yet." He said patting her shoulder.

"Brandon, what do you think she would do if I told her what I did to-" she was cut off by her own loud sorrowful sob that came out of her throat.

Brandon shook his head, "It wasn't your fault, we had no choice, you know it." Brandon tried to reason but that only made her sob more. He sighed then wrapped his huge arms around her, "Shush now, don't worry, everything will be fine, she's just upset now, she'll talk to you when she calms down." He said receiving a slow nod from Leanna. Then suddenly, a loud rough knock on the door broke their hug.

"Brandon! Brandon come here quick! We have an intruder!" the voice from behind the door shouted.

Leanna and Brandon exchanged concerned looks, then he gave her one last squeeze, "Don't be hard on yourself." He said receiving nothing but another nod, before he walked out of the room and went out to see what was happening.

* * *

"Anna!...Anna wait!" Aiden and the others were running towards her trying to keep up with her raging strides.

"WHAT!?" she turned instantly and yelled in her friends faces.

"Where are you going?!" Rapunzel asked concerned.

"I'm going back, and there is no one who could stop me," she said while crossing her arms.

"Anna, please think about this….it's too dangerous!" Aiden tried to reason.

"I know what I'm doing!"

"No you don't Anna! What are you trying to prove!? Your mother doesn't deserve this…what? You wanna get yourself killed just so you could get her back?" Aiden said holding both Anna's shoulders.

Anna laughed bitterly, "You think I'm going back there just to annoy my mother? I can't believe you!...i wanted to free this poor princess the moment I saw her! I don't care how dangerous it would be! She doesn't deserve this guys! Didn't you see how scared and terrified she was ?! oh god, even besides that, she was literally being SLICED!" she yelled, pushing Aiden in the chest.

"Anna, no one deserve this-" Rapunzel tried to say but was cut off,

"then this is a bigger reason why we should get her out!.." Anna yelled before she sighed and lowered her head, "Guys, I don't know if you wanna help me or not, but please listen to me! Can't you see we were sent there by fate for a reason! Maybe we were sent there so we could discover this horrible Arendelle truth that was probably hidden from everyone! Coincidence ? I don't think so, not every day you sneak inside a castle, end up in its dungeons and find its king torturing his princess...it is our destiny to get her out!... i WILL go back and free her." She gave them a determined look, her chest puffed and her head held high.

"Well….it is our duty to save her, I mean, how can someone be human seeing this and just cross his arms and do nothing." Rapunzel spoke her voice rising to cheerfulness.

Anna gasped in joy, "Oh my god, thankyouthankyouthankyou!" she said jumping on Rapunzel with a squishing hug.

"Whoa whoa whoa! No way !" Aiden said parting the girls from each other before he crossed his arms. The two girls looked at him with concern as he will definitely stop them from going back. "There is no way you two are going alone." He said then a smile crossed his face. The girls face lit up and they ran towards him wrapping him in a hug throwing him off balance. They laughed as they lay on the ground. "Okay okay…we have to work on this first." Aiden noted.

"Uhm, I don't think I agree on this," Flynn finally spoke as he stared at them with a frown.

"Awhh come on Flynn!...we can't just leave the poor princess like this without doing nothing!" Rapunzel said before she stood up and walked towards him, placed a hand on his cheek, "can you believe how much she is suffering, Flynn ? Tortured by her own father? Isn't that enough to give us a reason to help her?" she said her voice low and gentle.

Flynn sighed, placing his own palm on Rapunzel's hand that was resting on his cheek, "You saw what happened to you back there, I don't want you getting hurt." He said looking into her sparkling green eyes.

"Don't worry," she leaned forward and kissed him on his cheek, "I'll be fine! And you'll be there to save me" she winked making him blush and smile awkwardly.

"Sorry to break it up to you, love birds…but if he is gonna help us, he should stay here." Anna demanded.

"What?!" the three gave her a confused look.

"Someone has to stay here and watch, we don't want anyone to notice our absence, and especially not my mum!...besides, what we need is Lockpicking," she said pointing at Rapunzel with her chin, "and muscles." Pointing at Aiden.

"That's insulting." Flynn said his voice rigid with a frown.

Anna laughed a bit, "I mean…haha…your job is climbing, and we don't need to climb right now."

"Yeah but we still need something to transport the princess…..i don't think she will be able to ride, nor it is a good idea placing her on a horse while she bled." Aiden pointed out.

"Hmm…" Anna was thinking, tapping her chin with her index, then they heard it. Men shouting.

"What's happening out there?!" Flynn asked.

"I don't know, but come on!, lets go check it out!" Anna said before she started running, motioning for the others to follow.

They ran outside the fort square, seeing a crowd forming around something, shouting and cursing.

As they approached the crowd they could hear a man struggling and grunting, "get out of the way, please!" Anna said trying to get through the people to get a better view, then her eyes shot wide and her jaw fell.

Tyler and Brandon were standing in front of three members of the guild whom were trying to hold a man down, but he was struggling and he looked tough and muscular. "How did you find us?!" one of the members yelled at him. "Hold still!" another commanded.

Anna finally found her voice and spoke utterly shocked, "Kristoff?!"

The Blond man looked up and his face went slack, "Anna?!..." he asked confused.

"You know this man?!" Brandon asked her, driving all the crowd to look at her.

"Uhh, y-yeah!...Yeah I know him, leave him alone!" she demanded before she ran towards Kristoff pushing the members away from him.

"You led him here?!" Tyler said his voice loud and angry.

"What?!...no no don't worry ! he wouldn't tell anyone about all this, he is just lost that's all!" She tried to reason before leaning a bit towards Kristoff , her eyes not leaving Tyler's and whispered through her gritted teeth, "What are you doing here?"

"Uhh, I-I …" Kristoff was trying to say before he was cut off by Aiden's voice.

"Okaaay everyone! Nothing to see here, everything is under control! Now if you would please get back to your duties while we take care of this man!" he announced awkwardly.

Brandon gave Anna an unsure look, but she smiled back, vanishing his concerns. He nodded then mumbled something to Tyler, who shook his head at the four young thieves in disappointment, before both he and Brandon walked away. The crowd finally started to part away, some whispers and mumblings can be heard but Anna shrugged it off. She grabbed Kristoff's arm and pulled him behind her without saying a word and motioning for the other three to follow, away from sight and inside the fort stables. When they arrived they were surprised to see the stable man trying to hold Kristoff's reindeer who was hooked by a sled, steady.

"Emre Emre! Just leave him alone, we'll take care of him." Anna told the stableman, who released the reindeer and nodded before he walked away and went outside the stables.

Kristoff hurried to calm his buddy, who amazingly did when he saw his master, then he turned to look at the four thieves whom were weirdly all crossing their arms and lifting one eyebrow. Kristoff laughed nervously, "I can explain this…" he said.

"Then start now." Anna commanded with a warning tone.

Kristoff sighed, "Well, I saw you guys at the barn back in Arendelle, and uhm…you didn't look quite comfortable to say the least…and w-well…I thought…that maybe you guys were in trouble or something, so curse my curiosity, I h-had to follow you to discover myself, and I-I ended up in this abandoned fort which looks like it's not, so can someone please tell me what is happening here ?!"

"were you stalking us ?!" Rapunzel asked.

"Well, if you put it like that…it sounds bad." Kristoff tried to reason.

"It _is_ bad!" Anna said with a loud voice.

"I explained myself, now it's your turn !" he quickly said, his turn to cross his arms and look at them with peering eyes.

The four thieves turned their back to him and whispered among each other, making him lean a bit forward, trying to eavesdrop, but Aiden cast him a dour glance, and he quickly stood straighter back as if he wasn't trying to do anything.

"Guys, do you really think we should tell him ?" Flynn asked.

"Well, he already saw everything, and I don't think telling him that he is just dreaming will work." Anna explained.

"How about we use a frying pan?" Rapunzel asked innocently.

"Frying pan? What are you talking about?" Anna asked confused, then she received a smirk from Rapunzel that made her realize what she meant, so she gasped, "Are you crazy? This could kill him!"

"I tried it on Flynn, it worked perfectly! Look, he's at full health! How much are these Flynn?" Rapunzel asked him, holding 3 fingers in front of his face.

"Five!" He said proudly.

"Okay maybe he's not, but still!...i think it would work." Rapunzel said awkwardly.

"No way hozay, we are not gonna try this." Anna decided.

"Well, lets just tell him…he doesn't seem like someone harmful….but he does own us though, he just got us into trouble with Tyler and Brandon." Aiden reminded.

"Very well." Anna said before the four turned to Kristoff and recrossed their arms.

"well?" Kristoff asked.

Anna sighed and started explaining what this fort meant, who are these people, what they are doing here and why. She told him enough for him to understand the fact that he is among thieves, though safe.

"Interesting…I've met four people at the market square back in Arendelle in which they looked friendly, harmless and chocolate lovers, turns out to be dangerous skilled thieves." He said while staring at somewhere in his mind. "just great…"

"Now that you know our secret, it's time for you to pay your debt! And I know exactly how" she said with a smirk, making all the others give her a confused look, then she turned and looked at the sled.

"You are to help us on something we wanna retrieve from Arendelle, and that requires the use of your sled." Anna said, still smirking, quickly pulled by Aiden and the others.

"Are you out of your mind!?" They all whispered to her in unison.

"We can't let him come with us! It's too dangerous even to us! And I'm still not even totally convinced that we should even do it ourselves!" Aiden revealed.

"Not just that, but we don't wanna put people through harm Anna, he doesn't deserve to be …Hanged, if we all get caught!...he's just a simple ice harvester!" Rapunzel said, trying to convince Anna that her plan was even crazier.

"hey I heard that!" Kristoff shouted from behind them, making Rapunzel roll her eyes.

"IF!...you said If! And besides he won't be coming inside with us, he'll just wait outside the sewer entrance with his sled, and we'll be able to transport the princess safely!" she said flailing her hands happily.

"Aggggghhh!" Aiden groaned heavily, feeling defeated, slapping his face with both his hands.

"Well…looks like we have no choice." Flynn said.

"You are still going to stay in here big guy!" Rapunzel teased, patting his shoulder.

"But-" Flynn tried to reason but he was shut by Rapunzel's finger on his lips. "Uhh, okay. I'll make sure everything's clear for you guys, and try my best to…oh my god I'm going to have to face your mother Leanna!" he said while facepalming.

"She doesn't bite you know!" Anna defended, making Flynn grab her from her shoulders.

"One look from her eyes is enough to choke me!" Flynn said shaking Anna's shoulders vigorously.

"Uhm….guys, someone is still waiting." Aiden snapped their attention, pointing with his head to Kristoff, whom was watching nervously.

"Oh! Sorry…" Anna cleared her throat then, "Kristoff, we need you to take us back to Arendelle and then bring us back here."

"Okay?..." Kristoff answered unsure then, "...are you going back there to steal something again?!" he asked raising a suspicious eyebrow.

Anna shook her head slowly, the amused look on her face turning into a sad one, "Trust me Kristoff, I wish it was that simple."

* * *

**REVIIEEEWWWWWWWWW! :D Sorry for the sudden chapter change, just like i told you...it was too long i had to split it in two. Please never hesitate to review :) it really cheers me up and helps me get more excited to write :)**

**Next chapter is definitely : Royalty Amongst Thieves**


	11. Royalty Amongst Thieves

**Hello! :D...at last i arrived at this chapter! its my favorite so far :)**

**it will blow your minds! literally!**

**Enjoy :)**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter X: Royalty Amongst Thieves

The next early morning was silent, everyone were sleeping except a few guards, the sounds of the morning rooster, four thieves, one ice harvester and his reindeer. Anna, Rapunzel and Aiden, prepared themselves, while Kristoff waited for them at the stables. They gathered cloaks and some clothes, food and water, Aiden brought his axe, Rapunzel prepared her special lock-picks as she knew The Princess's door is not coming down without a fight of lock-picking. Anna kept her bow, and brought extra knives in case any king decided to show up at the last moment. Kristoff last night decided to sleep in the stables in his sled, and of course the four thieves didn't mind, the man was honest and kind, and Anna of course saw much more than that.

They all met at the stables. When the thieves arrived, Kristoff was already packed up and ready to go. Anna felt her guts turn, she was nervous, she was even scared, she didn't want to see the hell again with her own eyes, but she wanted to save the princess whatever it takes and she wasn't willing to give up.

"Okay everyone, mount up." Kristoff told them.

Anna and Rapunzel, sat at the back of the sled letting Kristoff take the lead of the reins and Aiden mounted Flynn's horse Maximus.

"Anna are you still sure about this?" Flynn said his voice concerned and gentle.

"Don't worry Flynn, I'm sure." She replied with a soothing smile.

"Anna, don't you think maybe we should think about it at first? I-I mean what if the princess is locked away for a reason? What if she did something dangerous or what if _she_ is dangerous? I mean the king definitely have his reasons to-" Flynn was trying to argue in a low voice enough for only him and Anna could hear but she cut him off,

"Lock her?!Chain her?! Starve her?! Torture her?!...whatever the reason he did all this to her…her Father!...I don't think the princess is more dangerous than us? She is just one girl Flynn, and we all saw how vulnerable she was, besides the fact that the whole kingdom thinks she's dead. So that is enough proof for me to know that king is the devil of this hell…and he doesn't want anyone to know what he is doing because IT IS WRONG!"

"Okay, okay!" Flynn said holding his hands up defensively, he sighed then, "Well, good luck you guys" he said looking at them with an unsure grin.

"Be sure to cover our back here, would you?" Aiden reminded.

"I know how to cover _you_ guys…I'm just worried about covering _her!_" Flynn pointed at Anna.

"Flynn, my mother won't expect me to talk to her for like two days at least, so …my mother is the least of your problems." Anna assured.

"Fine fine, please be careful though." Flynn said again, hugging Rapunzel, who gave him a peck on the cheek.

"We will." Rapunzel said with a smile.

And they were off.

* * *

The more they came closer to Arendelle, the more it sent unwelcomed, sick stomach feelings. The three thieves' heart was pumping harder than ever, they felt as if they were going to their own doom with their own feet. They didn't say a word all the way, each and every one of them was trapped in his own worries and thoughts. Rapunzel was trying to make a low beating rhythm with her lock-picks, trying to sooth her mind. Aiden was occupied with controlling the hyperactive Maximus and thinking about how he will end up dead by Leanna's hands for him accepting to help Anna in such a lunacy task. Kristoff was leading the reindeer peacefully, wondering what those thieves were up to. Anna…Anna was having an emotional roller coaster. She was angry at her mum, but sad that she is. She felt fear and anxiety for the Princess, and fury towards the king. She bit her lip and kept her eyes locked downwards, taping both her indexes together in nervousness. Then, they were all brought back from their thoughts when Kristoff finally spoke.

"Arendelle is just up ahead this hill," he pointed forward to the grassy hill, receiving silent nods from the others, "So … you guys still didn't tell me what exactly are you trying to retrieve?"

"Uhhhh…let's just go there first , then you'll see tonight." Anna suggested.

"Akhh there it is again…the cold!" Rapunzel said while rubbing her hands.

"I'm gonna race you up the hill!...come on Maximus!" Aiden kicked the horse into a gallop, making Kristoff roll his eyes.

Rapunzel noticed Anna's anxiety, she rested a hand on Anna's shoulder making the girl snap to attention, "Anna….you know we can still go back-" Rapunzel was trying to say when she was cut off by Anna,

"No!..I _will_ get her out of there do you hear me?!" Anna snapped making Rapunzel lean away a bit.

_Her ? Who are they talking about ?_ Kristoff thought.

Anna stared at Rapunzel for a sec, then sighed heavily, "Sorry…I'm just a bit nervous."

"A bit?!" Rapunzel said playfully.

Anna chuckled, "Okay, a lot." She said giving the smiling Rapunzel a nervous grin, rubbing the back of her neck.

"It's okay Anna…I don't think anyone who could be walking right into hell could be any less nervous right ?" Rapunzel tried to cheer but failed miserably.

"Thank you?" Anna said with a playful tone, making them both laugh.

"Well girls, we're almost there…just right up-what the hell is wrong with Aiden?!" Kristoff said tilting his head and pointing at Aiden up ahead, who was completely unmoving, just staring to what's in front of him, mouth open in shock.

"Aiden?" Anna called, but he did not respond, making her furrow her brows in concern.

"Come on buddy!" Kristoff urged the reindeer to go faster. As they came closer to Aiden, they started to feel the unnatural cold, which was much harsher than before.

"Okay this is seriously…getting…c-cold!" Anna noted hugging herself for warmth. When they reached the top they were all looking at Aiden.

"Aiden what's wrong?" Rapunzel asked concerned.

Aiden did not move, he only lifted his hand and pointed at something, his eyes not blinking.

They all followed his hand's way and when they did. Their eyes shot wider than Aiden's, as they gasped louder than ever at the sight. Arendelle, was completely covered in snow and ice, some of the wooden shakes were collapsed, others were a bit destroyed, frozen tree branches splattered all around Arendelle, some of the trees themselves were broken, as if smashed with a great force. Some houses had ice spikes growing out from the walls. The castle, was in the worst condition, it was covered with thick snow, and ice, it almost looked as if it was made of them. The fjord was completely frozen to solid ice, trapping the ships and boats from moving.

"It's completely frozen!" Kristoff breathed, eyes darting around Arendelle.

"Uhmm.." Anna started her voice shaking, "I don't remember Arendelle was like this when we left,"

"Kristoff? Please tell me this is supposed to be totally normal in Arendelle." Rapunzel said.

"No…this…this is not right! That never happened!...Only in winter!...and the fjord wouldn't freeze like that at all!" Kristoff said shaking his head fast.

"hah, well…we're in the middle of July, and I don't know if you guys have your winters and summers the opposite way in this kingdom." Anna joked.

"But…but..no no! they a-always said the kingdom was c-cursed but I never believed it! That can't be!...we have to go to town and see what's happening!" Kristoff demanded.

They didn't wait another minute, they quickly rushed into the town to start investigating.

* * *

As they walked into town, they could see how everyone was desperate for warmth, some homeless and beggars gathered around the barely lit fire, others were rushing to get some firewood, some were whispering silently between each other whilst rubbing their hands for warmth. Arendelle's citizens were a mess. Anna can't help but notice how the kingdom's crops were totally destroyed, and she knew that it is very bad for a kingdom that relies on summer's harvest. Some of the citizens were talking to the guards about the lack of food, some demanded to see the king. The town's cobble stone ground was covered in ice. Anna struggled many times, trying not to slip.

"This is not normal." Aiden pointed the obvious.

"Tell me about it." Kristoff said while glancing with worry around his home town.

"I-I-I think they a-are right…it-it-it is … cursed." Rapunzel was trying to say, her voice quivering from the cold, trying to hug herself more with her cloak.

Anna's eyes were watching around with real concern, when she felt a rough hand on her arm, pulling her.

"Get out of here while you still caaan!" a creepy looking old woman cried, her face was wrinkled, broken and yellow teeth, her grey filthy hair came down her eyes, which Anna can see were full with fear. Anna tried to pull away but the old woman kept a tight grip on her, whilst she kept yelling.

"This kingdom is cursed! CURSED I TELL YOU!...this is no God's work! This is the devil's work! A witch! The Snow Queen is angry! Angryyy! She will freeze us all! She will kill your children while you sleep! She has nothing but a frozen heart! Get away from this town! Go! Go!...Cursed, I tell youuuu! CURSED! The Storm came crashing! Destroying everything that stood in its way! The fjord froze! Like her heart! She is foul! we should strike! Arendelle is trapped! TRAPPED in an eternal winter! Summer has vanished through her rage! The Snow Queen is angry! ANGRYYYY!"

Anna finally pulled away, making the old lady fall to the ground crying. Anna's eyes were wide with fear, her breath labored, oblivious to the citizens who watched what just happened, her friends came rushing to her side.

"Anna are you okay?!" Rapunzel asked worried giving Anna a hug. Anna did not respond she kept staring at the old crazy crying lady.

_Snow Queen?...this woman is a psycho! _Anna thought.

A guard came rushing towards them, "Ma'am are you alright?...she didn't hurt you didn't she?!" the guard asked pointing at the old woman who was grabbed by two other guards, pulling her away.

Anna finally snapped back from her thoughts, and blinked at the guard, "Uhm…" she looked at the old woman again, "No, no!...I'm fine."

"Are you sure Ma'am?" he asked again.

"Yeah, yeah! Thank you." Anna replied with a grin.

The guard sighed, "Please excuse old Willa, she is a bit…unsettled, but she is harmless." The guard said before he gave them a nod and walked away.

"This woman is crazy!" Rapunzel said.

"Yeah I know...!" Kristoff scoffed, "Snow Queen…hah, what a nice children fairy tale."

"We came here for a purpose…the moment our mission is complete, we are never coming back!" Aiden noted. "And this time for sure, right Anna?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

Anna nodded, "Of course…let's just…wait for sundown, and we will start." She said receiving a nod from the other three.

* * *

The sun hid behind the mountains, and the dead of the night swallowed the now-white kingdom, Arendelle. The four stood outside the sewer entrance. The three thieves' hearts were rushing to meet the outside world. Anna felt a familiar scene, but instead of Flynn, Kristoff was waiting with his sled just outside the sewer entrance.

"Okay guys, this is it." Aiden said.

"Its weird." Kristoff said scratching his head, making the thieves give him a confused look.

"What's weirder than this!" Rapunzel pointed at the frozen castle above them.

"No screams? we heard only few, and they were an hour ago….and no storms?" Kristoff finished, looking around trying to hear anything.

The three thieves realized he was right, and that made them worry even more. _Could the princess be already dead?! _Anna thought utterly concerned. "Oh my god, come on we have to move now!" she said, entering the sewers without waiting for a respond from the others, her face showed worry. Rapunzel followed Anna and Aiden gave Kristoff a pat on the shoulder, "Wish us good luck….it's what we really need right now." He deadpanned. Kristoff nodded before he turned and sat on the sled while Aiden rushed to keep up with the girls.

The three stood in front of the frozen ladder that would lead to the dungeon, staring at the doormat above them. The whole tunnel was covered in frost. But they didn't have time to investigate, as they already crossed the line of trespassing, and they need to do it very carefully and fast.

"I can't hear anyone." Anna said, her concern growing.

"Come on…" Aiden motioned for the two girls to follow. He climbed first, tried to lift the frozen doormat a bit, and he realized the ice made it harder to open. Yet thank god for his muscles. They peeked around the room, saw the ice that crawled out from the princess's cellar door. This time, they couldn't see from behind the bars at the bottom as a thick ice-cube covered them not allowing for the thieves to see if the princess was inside. Aiden took one last glance around the room to see if there were any guard or…the king himself for that matter, but all what he saw were other prisoners in their cellars sleeping. They took that to their advantages, "Come on, we'll do it quickly…Rapunzel, you head right to the princess's door and do your job, me and Anna will keep watch." After receiving a nod from everyone, Aiden finally lifted the doormat whole, and pushed it aside. They quickly climbed up and looked around as the dungeon came to a much better view. Suddenly one of the prisoners screamed, "People!... there are people here! Everyone look!"

Suddenly the dungeon erupted in loud yells and shouts for help and freedom.

"Please help us!"

"Get out of here before he sees you!"

"HELP ME PLEASE!"

The thieves were trying to calm them down. They didn't want to be busted, "Please just calm down, we'll help you all…" Anna tried to sooth them, but their voices grew louder.

"Rapunzel move now!" Aiden commanded.

While Rapunzel started to unlock the princess's door, she was surprised. "Anna…this door has 3 locks !" she pointed.

"Well then move faster!" Anna replied.

"They are freeing the princess!" one man called.

"The princess is probably dead!...Help us!

"Anna I can't hear the locks and do my job if they keep it up like this!" Rapunzel reminded.

Anna finally broke, "Shut up!" she yelled making the whole room silent. "The more we hurry the more we have a chance to free you, so please! Let us do our job!"

"Please, just get her out of here." Suddenly a gentle man's voice broke the silent. Anna looked to where the voice came from, and there, stood a man behind the bars, that Anna recognized from the last sneak in as Kai.

"One down." Rapunzel informed.

"What's with the ice?!" Aiden asked.

"There is no time to explain, just please…get her away from here!" Kai pleaded with teary eyes, gripping the bars tightly.

"It's the princess." One woman answered Aiden's question.

_The princess…what the hell are they talking about? What would the ice do anything with the princess? _Anna thought.

"Two down." Rapunzel informed again. Her tongue stuck out on the corner of her mouth, her hands working with the lock-picks.

"Do you know why she is locked in here?!" Anna asked Kai while approaching his cellar.

Kai nodded, "Yes...but I can't explain now! The king came in an hour ago and he did something to her! We heard her scream and plead, we heard some crashes and wood snapping, glass shattering and the king was yelling furiously! We heard a lot of thuds on the wall! He was hitting her no doubt! Throwing her around! It looked like she was locked inside with a ferocious animal! After he went out again, I tried to call her, but she wouldn't respond!...Please! just open the door and help her!"

Anna's heart sank, she started breathing fast, _No no please, she can't be dead, she can't!...That son of a bitch king!_

Anna and Aiden's eyes widened with concern and fear. They wanted to know the princess's story, but just when Kai opened his mouth to speak again, Rapunzel's cheering voice spoke.

"I did it! It's opened!"

Anna and Aiden rushed to the door, "Aiden, it's your turn." Aiden nodded to Anna, gripped the door's handle, and started pulling. The door was so heavy, and the ice around it made it a lot harder to open, "It's frozen shut!" Aiden noted, "Help me out," he suggested.

The three started pulling, making the door creaks loudly, ice around it breaking. When they finally opened it, they quickly rushed inside, and what they saw made them gasp aloud, that even made Rapunzel scream, "OH MY GOD!" placing her hands on her mouth. Anna felt light-headed for a moment, and Aiden looked away.

In front of them, the room was an ice cube, the walls were covered entirely with ice, huge spikes grew from every corner, the floor, was literally ice blue, the only other color was red that can only be nothing but blood. Steam started coming out of their mouth as they breathed. In the middle of the cellar, The princess was hanging from her shackled hands, her arms were stretched up at their full length above her, so that she stood upon the very ends of her toes, her head was low, and her eyes were shut and her platinum loose hair was covered in blood. Her hands were wholly swallowed with weird shackles that the three never saw before. And the worse part, she was completely exposed. She was nude. Revealing every scratch, cut, bruise and red gashes. She looked like she was mauled by a bear. Much more worse from when they last saw her. In the room, everything was broken, a table was broken in half as if something landed on it, the broken mirror was lying on the ground, the walls had small blood stains. The glass cups were all broken, glass splattered around the floor. Some of the glass had blood on it, no doubt from whom. The room looked like there was a fight. They couldn't help but notice the huge amount of blood pouring from her stomach, down her thigh and dripping on the puddle of blood under her. The three quickly rushed to get her down. When Anna came to a better view, her eyes shot wide and she gasped, "She's been stabbed!" she screamed.

Anna saw the knife stab on the princess's stomach, explaining the huge amount of blood on the floor.

"Is s-she alive?!" Rapunzel asked her voice quivering and full with concern and fear.

"We don't have time to check! Come on help me get her down!" Aiden said.

When Aiden got a better look of her arms, he saw cuts and bruises, but the most thing he was concerned about was her left arm. It was swollen badly, the skin color was blue and purple, _Please don't be broken!_ Aiden thought. He quickly grabbed his axe and brought it with full force on the shackles that covered her hands, but the moment the axe contacted the shackles, it reflected back with a loud _TING!_

"What the!" Aiden said, looking confused at the shackles that are still unharmed, not even a scratch. Then he leaned closer to look at the shackles and he gasped. "God….it's made of titanium!"

"You have got to be kidding me!" Rapunzel said facepalming.

"Then break the chains ya bozo! We'll remove the shackles later!" Anna commanded, removing her grey cloak and wrapping it gently around the unconscious body of the princess.

Aiden quickly grabbed the chains and broke them with his axe. The moment the chains shattered from the hook, from which they were attached to. The princess's body collapsed to the ground, but Anna and Rapunzel quickly held her before she gets harmed. Though, both quickly recoiled away when the princess landed safely on the ground, her body limp, that her head quickly rolled to the side."Holy crap!...Anna, she's like ice!" Rapunzel yelled brushing her hand away.

"Well of course she is! Can't you already see this place!" Anna flailed her hands around the frozen room.

All of them quickly knelt next to the Princess's body. Aiden tried to look for any sign of life, he tried to look for a breath, but he found none. He shook his head at Anna.

Anna's eyes began tearing up, _No no please she can't be dead! God please! Please help her! _Anna's heart was pumping harder than ever, tears rolled down her cheeks, then she was suddenly brought back with Aiden's joyful voice, "She's alive!" he pointed.

"What?" Anna asked desperately, thinking that she was just hallucinating.

"I can feel her pulse!" he said.

"Quickly now! We have to bring her back! She's still bleeding." Rapunzel reminded.

Anna exhaled a breath she didn't knew she kept and nodded quickly, Aiden rushed to carry the princess gently, resting her head on his chest. Aiden felt his heart ripped out, she was very light, he barely felt he was carrying anything, yet he started shivering, as the princess's body was very cold.

Just when they were about to walk out the cellar, they heard it, footsteps descending the stairs from behind the main dungeon door. "oh no….Come on!" Aiden whispered.

When they went out of the cellar, the other prisoners started shouting at them.

"The princess! Is she alive?!"

"They got her!"

"Hurry now, get her out of here!"

Rapunzel quickly slid inside the sewers again, helping Aiden with the princess. Cries and Pleads from the prisoners can be heard. Anna froze, she didn't know what she should do. _Should I help them?! Should I just go?! What should I do?!_ Anna thought.

"Anna come on!" Aiden yelled from down the sewers.

_Step. Step. Step._

"Anna!" Rapunzel screamed.

_Step. Step._

Then Kai's voice brought her back, "Please please just get the princess out of here! Don't worry about us, just keep her away from here!"

Anna ran towards Kai's cellar, holding his hands in hers, then he spoke again, tears coming down from his cheeks, "Please promise me to keep her safe! Away from here whatever It takes!..."

"I will. I promise" Anna replied, new tears coming down her cheeks.

_Step step step_ … Then they heard the door being unlocked.

Kai's hands began trembling in Anna's "Whatever you'll see don't let her feel different from the rest! Please! She deserve better than this! Now go! Gooo! GOOO!"

Anna was confused, she didn't understand what he was talking about, but she didn't have time to think. She quickly let go of his hands and ran down the sewers, closing the doormat, the pleads of the others in the dungeon still creeping in her ears. She gave the doormat one last glance before she hurried to catch up with Aiden and Rapunzel whom were rushing to the exit.

"What were you thinking?!" Rapunzel asked angrily.

"It doesn't matter, let's just get out of here now." Anna replied, eyes fixated at moonlight from the exit.

Kristoff began to worry when none of the thieves returned, it's been two hours and there was no sign of them, but his worries quickly vanished when he turned at the sounds of splashes coming from the sewer entrance, _they are back!_ He thought, an excited smile on his face. When the three emerged from the exit, Kristoff's face fell to a shocked expression. He ran towards them, "Who's this?!...where did you-and SHIVER MY TIMBERS AND CALL ME WOODY!...WHAT HAPPENED?!" he screamed when he saw the woman's tortured body.

"We'll explain later Kristoff! Quickly now! To the sled!" Anna commanded.

Kristoff was lost for words, he was gapping at what those three wanted to retrieve. He wanted an explanation; he was horrified at the sight. He noticed the poor woman's bloodied face, her hands, which were shackled with strange metal in which he could see that the chains were broken. "Is she a prisoner!?...a criminal?!" he asked concerned. _No one could be shackled with such things unless they are utterly dangerous or crazy! _He thought.

"Kristoff!" Anna yelled snapping him to attention, "I'll explain everything when we get back! Right now, we have to get away from here!" she paused then, "And no we don't know yet, what we know so far is that she is a princess."

"WHAT?!" Kristoff yelled gripping his hair in frustration.

"Look, I know everything looks crazy right now! But please Kristoff! We need your help!" Anna tried to convince him.

Kristoff kept staring at the woman in Aiden's arms, yet he found his legs taking him to the sled without uttering a word, eyes still wide, mouth slightly open.

Anna and Rapunzel quickly climbed the sled and helped Aiden place the unconscious princess gently at the back of it.

"God, she's so cold!" Rapunzel said, removing her cloak and placing it on top of Anna's cloak which was already wrapping the princess and now stained with blood.

"Thank youuuu, for pointing the obvious!" Anna mocked.

Rapunzel sat next to Kristoff, and Anna sat next to the platinum blonde's body, resting the princess's head in her lap, looking at her with complete angst, pushing the platinum bangs from her face, which showed agony. _She's really in pain. _She thought tears forming at the corner of her eyes as she watches the princess's pained unconscious expression.

Aiden quickly mounted Maximus and nodded at Kristoff to start leading his reindeer back to the fort. And so they were off leaving behind a raging king.

* * *

The moment Kai saw the platinum head disappear into the sewers, joyful tears rolled down his cheeks like waterfalls. _She's free, she's free!_ He thought. _This woman…she saved her!...Anna…her name was Anna!..Wait. How?! Could it be?! No, no. I'm definitely just exaggerating._ Kai was thinking then he was brought back from his thought when the dungeon door opened, revealing the king and Mad. Kai smirked, _there is a surprise waiting for you._

The moment the king saw Elsa's door opened, his eyes widened and he ran towards the door. He pushed it open harder and started panicking, "No…No this can't be!" he started darting his eyes around, searching for his daughter. He pushed the broken table aside, trying desperately to find her. "Where is she?! WHERE IS SHE!?" He searched and searched like a dog sniffing for a bone. "How did she escape!? HOW?!" Mad watched in shock as the king raged and threw objects around. When the king's mind finally settled, the king fell to his knees and ran his hands threw his hair in irritation, his eyes wide staring at nothing but the bloody ice floor. Mad kept silent, cowered a bit, not willing to stand in the king's way. Kai and the prisoners felt happy for the first time in years, they wanted the king to suffer for what he did to them, and mostly what he did to Elsa.

"Do you know what that means?!" the king finally spoke, breathing fast.

Mad didn't respond, he only shook his head.

"IT MEANS ARENDELLE WILL BE STUCK IN HER WINTER!" the king shrieked.

"U-u-uhm y-your majesty, even i-if she escaped, she won't survive with such wounds, and d-d-definitely not with the l-last one." Mad tried to speak, his voice quivering from fear of the king.

"I thought killing her will stop the winter she brought upon us!" the king said turning to look at Mad in the eyes.

"I-I-It will , y-your majesty….the moment she is dead, everything sh-she casted will come to an end."

"How did she escape then!? I stabbed her myself! How was she able to escape!? She couldn't even move ! I made sure of that!" the king yelled, standing up and walking towards Mad, his hands fisting, making Mad back away.

"Y-your majesty, please…I can assure you, she won't s-survive this!" Mad tried to reason, bringing his hands up defensively.

The king grabbed Mad from his throat and pushed him up his feet, slamming him to the wall, "Did you free her?!" the king asked, his voice full with rage and intimidation.

Mad's eyes shot wide, "What?! No, no, no, no, no. I-I didn't I swear to you, my lord!"

The king squeezed tighter, "What makes me so sure?" he asked with an evil, sanguine smirk.

Mad struggled to breath, he tried to speak, but couldn't as the king squeezed tighter. Then he managed to ask one question, "What if …someone…helped her?"

The moment the question shot out from Mad's mouth, the king's eyes widened, and he let go of Mad, making him collapse to the ground, gasping for air.

The king stood, shocked, eyes wide, "You're right…someone _did_ help her," he said staring at nowhere. His eyes finally turned to the broken chains, his face turned dour, then he looked at the other cellars, "And I will find out who."

* * *

"Okay guys, we'll arrive in a few minutes." Kristoff informed.

Anna was really worried as the bleeding is not stopping, she tried to wipe away the sweat overwhelming the princess's forehead, "Just hang in there," Anna said, her voice gentle, full with concern, as the princess was mumbling random things, even though she is unconscious, Anna had managed to hear a few. "I'm….sorry….please…papa….no…monster" she mumbled while her breath became faster.

Rapunzel and Anna exchanged concerned looks. _What did he do to her?! Why did he do all this?!_ Anna thought.

"Is she gonna be okay?!" Rapunzel asked furrowing her eyebrows in concern.

"I don't know…" Anna confessed, wiping more sweat from the princess's forehead. "She's still very cold…" Anna noted worryingly looking at the amount of cloaks covering the princess. "How is she even sweating while she's cold?!"

"You tell me…after what I've seen today in this kingdom, I don't think anything else will be weirder." Rapunzel tried to joke, but failed when she saw Anna bit her lip in fear when the princess coughed blood.

"Come on Kristoff!...Faster! She can't hold on any longer!" Anna urged.

"She reminds me of someone…" Rapunzel suddenly blurted.

"What?" Anna asked confused.

"I don't know…she looks…familiar." Rapunzel said again.

Anna stared at the princess's face, and started feeling the same familiar thing Rapunzel is talking about, but was brought back from her thoughts when Kristoff yelled happily, "We're here!...there! Come on, buddy!" He flicked the reins, urging his reindeer to go faster, "Okay girls, be ready. Almost there."

Anna started caressing the princess's hair, "Hang on please hang on….we're almost there, you'll be fine…I promise."

"She's still losing a lot of blood Anna," Rapunzel pointed the obvious as she stared at the big amount of blood staining the cloaks.

Anna didn't respond, she kept praying for the princess's well being, _Please…please let her live!...oh god please!_

"Open the gates!" they heard one of the fort guards yell from afar.

* * *

People started pointing at them, and rounding them as they saw Aiden carry a pale woman off the sled.

"Call for my mum NOW!" Anna shouted at one of the guild members who nodded and scurried off to oblige.

Flynn came rushing to them, "You did it!" he said happily but his face quickly fell when he saw the princess's state.

"Move away!" Aiden shouted at the crowd as he passed them, trying to reach the sanctuary.

They all rushed inside, followed by Kristoff, Rapunzel, Flynn and multiple other members. Anna quickly led them to a room where a table lay in the middle, "Clear this now!" she commanded the others to clear the table. Without wasting any time, they quickly did as she asked.

Aiden placed the trembling, bleeding princess on the table, her breath was becoming more labored, Anna began to panic, but she was startled when she heard Brandon's voice, "Anna!" he called rushing to her through the crowd, "Who's this?! What happened?! Where were you?!" he asked looking at her then his eyes fell on the princess, and they widened, "By the love of thieves…who did this?!" he asked taking a better look.

"Look I'll explain everything later! Now where's my mum!?" just when Anna asked, she heard her mother's voice from behind the crowd. "Okay now, move it move it, let me through!" Leanna said sternly, followed by her assistants.

When she came to view, Anna quickly ran towards her and hugged her mother, Leanna hugged back quickly, "Mother mother you have to help her please!" Anna pleaded, receiving a reassuring nod from Leanna.

"Alright, dear." She said before she quickly came close to the table, trying to examine the poor woman. Leanna started unwrapping the blood stained cloak from the woman's body then realized that it was the only thing that covered the woman. As she lifted her head, she saw how the room was full with people, staring concerned and horrified at the sight, "Everyone out!" she commanded, everyone quickly obliged, not willing to disobey her, Aiden and Flynn hesitated for a minute, but they don't have time to argue now, so they rushed outside the room, pushing the others out, giving Leanna and her assistants some space. "Anna. Rapunzel. You stay here." Leanna commanded.

When the room cleared, Leanna started removing the cloak; there is no time for modesty when the woman in front of her is in such conditions. Leanna felt how cold the woman was, she felt a bit strange at the sight of the woman's sweat soaked platinum blonde hair, but she quickly shook it off. The whole room gasped as they saw the blood, the gashes, the bruises and the cuts. The princess's pale back was in the worst condition, as fresh whipping marks spread all over it, some are split, and have blood escaping out of them. Her back was horribly disfigured. Leanna quickly realized that this is the work of a Roman Scourge.

Her eyes widened when she saw the strange shackles, still gripping and hiding the woman's hands. "Oh…my…..What are these!?" Leanna asked furrowing her brow at Anna and Rapunzel. She healed a lot of people through the years, saw many severe injuries and blood, but this?...This was insanity, this was _horrifying_. There wasn't a part of her body that wasn't agonizingly painful to look at.

"We tried to remove them, but…well they are made of titanium, so we need to remove them with cunning, and we didn't actually have time for this when we were getting her out!" Anna explained.

_Getting her out?!_ Leanna thought.

"Where did you find her like this?! Where were you?!" Leanna asked angrily.

When they opened their mouth to answer her, suddenly, the princess started mumbling again, her voice was very weak and quivering, that sent stabs threw Leanna's heart. "Monster…n-no…frozen…d-dead...guilty", her mumbles accompanied with coughs that sent blood splattering Leanna's face. "Leanna, she's losing a lot of blood!" One of the assistants noted. Leanna quickly wiped the blood off her face and grew very worried for some reason she did not know. "She's so pale!" another assistant pointed out. The princess was overwhelmed with sweat, dirt, blood and wounds. Then Leanna was the one that saw how the princess was opening her eyes, yet still unconscious, and when she did, at the sight of the cyan color, Leanna gasped louder than ever, sending herself backwards to the ground, her eyes wider than ever, making the others look at her with concern. "No…no!" Leanna said shaking her head vigorously, _No no please, that can't be!_ She thought.

Anna tried to reach her, "Mother, are you alright?!" she asked worriedly, but Leanna didn't seem to hear Anna's concerned question. The whole room was staring at her in confusion, yet she was only seeing one woman in front of her. One platinum blonde _woman _with cyan eyes, lying on the table, unconscious, tortured, bleeding and dying slowly. _Please that can't be true! This is not her!_ Leanna thought to herself, she crawled away from the table, then quickly stood, trembling, flinching away, "NOOO!" she turned and rushed out of the room, stumbling her way out.

Anna and the others looked at each other in concern, "mother wait!" Anna called but was pulled back by Rapunzel,

"You stay here with her!" she said pointing at the princess who fell to the darkness again. "I'll go see what happened and bring her back." She finished then rushed to catch up with Leanna.

* * *

Outside the room, a lot of people waited for an explanation and answers. Whispers and mumblings can be heard around it,

"I never saw something like that!" one man said to the other.

"Poor thing..." another said shaking his head.

"Did you see her!?" a woman asked.

Tyler came and stood in front of Aiden and Flynn, "What is the meaning of this?!...who is this woman?!" he asked looking at Aiden with angry eyes.

"Uhm can't you feel how cold this room suddenly became?" Flynn tried to change subject but failed as Tyler glared at him, making him lower his head.

Aiden gulped, "This…this is…" Aiden sighed then "...the princess of Arendelle." He said making the whole room gasp, erupt into even louder whispers and murmurs.

"A Princess!"

"Royalty amongst us!"

"We are doomed!"

Brandon's eyes widened in recognition, "What did you say...?" he breathed.

Aiden groaned in frustration, "Look, when you sent us to Arendelle, we kind of ended up in the dungeons, and we accidentally saw something we were not suppose to see!" he said pointing at the door, where Leanna and the others are healing the princess. "The king himself was torturing her! And Anna insisted on getting her out!" Aiden finished, feeling a bit guilty throwing it all on Anna.

"You brought a royal here!?" Tyler yelled slamming the desk he was behind. "Do you realize what you've done?!"

Brandon sank to the chair, placing a hand on his forehead, his eyes not blinking once. _It's her…it's her!_ Then suddenly everyone was startled as they saw Leanna rushing out of the room, her eyes teary and full with terror not looking at anyone, she just wanted to run away from what she saw. _she knows._ Brandon thought.

"What the hell is wrong with Leanna?!" Flynn asked. This was the first time in their whole life, seeing Leanna showing any sign of stress or sadness. They were all shocked, _why is she so afraid ? what happened in there? _Aiden thought, then was snapped out of his thought when he saw Rapunzel rushing out from the room too, motioning for them to follow. Flynn, Aiden, Tyler and Brandon gave each other a confused look then quickly followed her to where Leanna went.

* * *

Leanna rushed inside her room, placing a hand on her mouth in disbelieve, _Oh my god, please that can't be her please! _She thought, pacing back and forth, _she's dead! They said she died!_

Then the others finally made it to her room, "Leanna what happened?! Why did you leave her?! We need you now! She's dying!" Aiden tried to reason.

_But she already died….8 years ago!_ Leanna thought, not looking at anyone but inside her mind.

"Leanna what's wrong!...speak god damn it!" Tyler demanded.

"Why were you scared of her?!" Rapunzel asked concerned. "You looked at her as if you saw a monster!"

Leanna kept pacing back and forth, tears rushing down her cheeks, her hand still on her mouth, shaking her head in disbelieve, "you don't understand…" she whispered, stopped pacing then gave Brandon a surrendered look.

Leanna looked at Rapunzel with worried eyes, "Rapunzel…please, when you were bringing her here….did you see anything…unusual?"

Rapunzel was confused at first but she spoke anyway, "Well…hah…we did see ice all ove-" she was saying but was cut off by Leanna's loud sob.

"Oh god…it's her!" She said before she placed a hand on her forehead, and gave Brandon one last glance, that could mean, 'I'm going to tell them'.

Brandon stared at her in concerned, nodded slowly and then looked away and lowered his head.

"What can't we understand?!...do…do you know her!?" Rapunzel asked trying to reach for Leanna's shoulder.

Leanna quickly shrugged away and turned her back to them, her arms hugging her middle in anxiety, closed her eyes, her heart pumping, "I…I-I do…" she replied with a cracking breath.

The other's eyes widened, "well _how_ do you know her!?" Tyler asked crossing his arms.

Leanna tensed at the question, squeezing her eyes tighter, she sighed then "That's…." she tried to say, her back still turned to the others. "That's my daughter." She finally revealed, confusing the other more and more.

Flynn laughed bitterly, "What?...She can't be your daughter unless you're…unless you're….oh my god…." He said his jaw dropping, he started backing away from Leanna, and so does the others.

"W-who….who are you?!" Rapunzel asked, holding a hand up, taking a step back.

Leanna finally turned. Back straight as an arrow, she looked at them with teary, most yielding eyes, her face full with sorrow. "My name…..is Queen Aphrodite of Arendelle…..and that's my daughter."

* * *

**Tutt ttutt taaaaa! hahaha REVIEWWWWW! Please..i really worked hard on this :)...Okay i don't know about you guys but every time i read this myself...at the last words...i smack my hand to my mouth and i get goose bumbs xD ...i hope you're still enjoying this :3 Elsa's out ! PHEWWWWW! :D...but oh dear these injuries don't look pleasant. :P FUCK YOU KING! I HATE HIM SO MUCH! How could he do this to our Elsa! : **


	12. Ice Erupted From Fire

**Hello! :D omg i'm sooooooooo sorry it took me long to update. I've been been beta reading this chapter over and over. And guys...it take loads of time to write a flawless chapter..lol hopefully.**

**Enjoy ! :D**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XI: Ice Erupted From Fire

The thieves stood frozen. Unable to talk and unable to move, paralyzed. Their minds still trying to adjust Aphrodite's words. Aphrodite watched in concern, as their faces rolled into different emotions at the same time, waiting for their reaction. Then finally, Rapunzel found her voice.

"Uh… what?!" she asked, confused, as if she wants to hear Aphrodite again, making sure she heard correctly.

Aphrodite sighed, then straightened again, and spoke with her regal voice for the first time in 15 years, "I said, my name is Queen Aphrodite of Arendelle… and the woman out there is my daughter, and her name is Elsa…. Princess Elsa."

"But that means….. That king!... is Anna's father?!" Flynn asked bewildered.

Aphrodite wasn't happy about this question, she wasn't proud that she married someone like him, "Yes…" she replied.

"So that makes Anna…." Rapunzel trailed off.

"A Princess." Aiden continued, eyes still wide, not moving from Aphrodite.

"Oh great, no wonder why she's always bossy!" Flynn mocked.

"It means…. That woman, Elsa… is ANNA'S SISTER!?" Aiden asked.

"Are you people serious?!..." Tyler finally spoke, fear showing on his face. "There's been a Queen living amongst us! She knows everything we've done! She'll probably go, bail on us and lock us in the dungeons! We can't trust her-"

"I have healed and saved your sorry asses many times all those years! You have no right to judge me! You own me more than I owe you a million times! I would have easily left you to die or brought you to justice… you are thieves! Remember that?!... Yet I didn't utter a word! So don't come pointing your filthy fingers at me!"

And that made Tyler and the others speechless. They knew she spoke the very truth, yet Tyler wanted to know more. "Then explain your plot!" he demanded.

Aphrodite became pacing back and forth, flailing her hands in the air. "What would have me do?! … I have seen my daughter being abused by her own father from the day she was born! And the more she grew, the more he became harder! I wouldn't have waited until I see my daughters dead in my arms from that monster! I had to hide them and get them away from him. And seeing that my escape can only be accomplished by the help of _thieves_, do you really think I would just tell them I'm a queen!? I didn't know back then what you would have done with me!... Maybe you would have slit my throat! Killed Anna! Robed me! Left me to die! Took me as a hostage! I don't KNOW! …. I would never have trusted a thief! So I had no choice but to change my identity." she said before turning to Brandon, looking for help.

"It was my idea." Brandon confessed.

The others stared at him in disbelief, "You knew!?" Rapunzel asked, surprised.

Brandon sighed, "Yes… I did…. Her brother Robin told me." He said lowering his head, mourning for Robin.

"Your brother is Robin?!" Tyler asked, fear from the Queen dissipating.

"Yes… he _was_…. Before my husband killed him." Aphrodite replied, surprising Brandon with her voice, kept regal. "I have lost my brother to this man…. And I thought I lost one my daughters to him too, but…" She placed a hand on her face, hiding the tears, her voice no longer strong. She gulped silently, then spoke. "God just showed me that I was a horrible mother…. Hiding in here while my daughter suffers, for who knows since when." She said, her voice quivering.

Brandon walked towards her, and rested a hand on her shoulder, "Aphrodite, are you sure this is her?" he asked, his voice gentle.

She wanted to say 'no'. She wanted to believe that this woman… this tortured woman, is not her daughter, yet she cannot hide the truth from herself. She pushed his hand off her shoulder, lifted her head and looked at him right in the eyes. Her green ones meeting his brown's. "I have seen these eyes… my daughter's eyes! … Pleading… begging for help! Every night in my dreams, since the day I had made my greatest mistake and left her!... And now… now I realize I wasn't dreaming."

Brandon stared at her teary and penitent green eyes. "Listen to me. You have saved one of your daughters-" He said, trying to encourage her. Persuading and reassuring her that it wasn't her fault until Tyler's piercing voice came out like a dagger through Aphrodite's heart.

"And sacrificed the other?" Tyler asked mockingly before he scoffed.

This… was the thing that Aphrodite had cursed herself for. For the past 15 years, since the ambush. She had blamed herself all these years, for leaving Elsa behind, even though Brandon keeps telling her that they had no choice, and especially because she had been hit on the head accidentally and fallen unconscious, so none of it was her fault.

She would have fallen to her knees if it weren't for Brandon's grip holding her steady. She looked away in complete shame. She knew Tyler was right.

Brandon sensed her distress, and quickly hurried to cover her, "Okay, that's enough!" he demanded, standing between Aphrodite and the others.

"What should we tell Anna!?" Aiden asked.

Brandon heard Aphrodite mumble something, but he didn't hear it quite properly. "What?" he asked from behind his shoulders.

"Anna should not know." Aphrodite revealed her voice high enough for the whole room to hear.

The thieves' eyes widened. Brandon gave Aphrodite a questioned look, then Flynn spoke, "WHAT!? Of course she should! She has a right to know that-"

"Her sister had been left to die!? Her father is a monster?! Her mother is nothing but a coward?!" She scoffed, then threw her arms in the air in irritation, yelling, "What a beautiful family reunion!... She saw a man torture a helpless girl with her own eyes!... How do you expect me to tell her that these two she saw were her father and sister!?" Aphrodite cut him off, anger growing. She lifted her hand and squeezed the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"This daughter of yours sure is weak…" Tyler was trying to say, then was startled by Aphrodite's gasp.

_Her powers!_ She remembered. She turned to Tyler with a glare, her eyes staring right through his soul, "Weak?!... How dare you!? Let me have fun torturing your body, then we'll see how strong you are!... My daughter is much powerful than any of us!" she said confusing the others. She turned to Aiden and Rapunzel, "The ice you saw…. She made it!"

The thieves gave her an unsure mocking laugh, but Brandon kept silent, he knew what Elsa is capable of.

_Was Elsa the one responsible for Arendelle's sudden winter? ... No, no, what am I saying! This is nonsense! Aphrodite is just confused, that's all!_ Rapunzel thought completely puzzled.

"Yeah, right…!" Tyler snorted, "then why didn't she fight back her father?!" he asked with sarcasm.

Then it clicked her mind, _those shackles!_ Aphrodite finally realized.

Rapunzel felt sorry for Aphrodite, no mother should be in such a situation. She came closer to Aphrodite and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Lean-I mean… Queen Aphrodite-"

"Ugh, spare me the titles Rapunzel!" Aphrodite said with a bitter laugh.

Rapunzel hesitated a bit, then spoke again. "A-Aphrodite, you're probably tired and still shocked…"

"You don't believe me?!" Aphrodite stared at them in disbelief. _They think I've gone nuts!_ She thought, annoyed at their ignorance. "I'm telling you, Elsa can control ice!" She tried to convince them but stopped when she saw Rapunzel shaking her head slowly at her.

Brandon would have backed Aphrodite in this, but he never saw Elsa's powers in action. He only knew about it through Robin's stories, and later from Aphrodite. So he stayed silent.

_Was the storm at the ambush back then, created by Elsa?!_ He thought confused.

"Look, what it matters now is that we have to help Elsa!" Rapunzel said again, holding both Aphrodite's hands in hers "Aphrodite, your daughter is given back to you! ... Don't lose her again." Rapunzel finished.

Aphrodite's eyes widened, _Elsa!_ She finally realized that she left her daughter dying outside. "My god… Elsa!" She ran outside the room, not waiting for anyone. The moment she opened her bedroom door, she heard Anna's voice calling her, "MUM!" She did not wait another second. She sprinted to the other room, where she left Anna and the assistants after her sudden panic.

The others followed.

* * *

Aphrodite pushed the door open, revealing her bleeding daughter, lying on her side, trembling and squirming on the table, shouting random words, her eyes still shut. Anna's worried eyes hovering over her. The assistants were trying to calm her down, but to no avail.

Anna lifted her head and saw her mother, "Wh-Where were you?!... Are you crazy? Why did you r-run off like that?!" Anna yelled at her mother, fury completely splattered her face. Yet Aphrodite can see how Anna was actually terrified.

"Leanna, the girl is still unconscious. We don't know what's wrong! She's just not calming down!" One of the assistants informed horrified.

Aphrodite quickly rushed to the side of the table. Her heart sank as she saw not just a bleeding woman she did not know, but a _daughter_ in pain.

Rapunzel entered the room, blocking the others from coming inside.

"No! I want their help." Aphrodite commanded.

Rapunzel quickly nodded and moved away, allowing Flynn, Aiden, Tyler and Brandon to come in.

Aphrodite turned back to her daughter and began examining her body, the others watching as the princess kept talking unconsciously to herself. "Papa… I'm sorry… pain, pain! Please… please, no!" she mumbled while shaking her head from side to side.

_What's happening to her?! _Flynn thought, his own worry growing for the princess.

Aphrodite, saw how her daughter was bleeding heavily from her stomach, and she realized it's a knife stab. _Why you son of a bitch! _Aphrodite thought of her husband, furrowed her eyebrows in rage, _I'm going to kill him! _

"We have to lay her on her back…" Aphrodite started.

"But… Leanna, the princess's back is…" One of the assistants trailed off, but had the courage to slide down the cloak, enough for Aphrodite to take sight of Elsa's back. Remembering that she had seen it before, she gasped in shock. Since this time, she did not see these hideous lines on just _a woman_, but her daughter. Aphrodite slammed her fist on the table, making the other jump at the sudden action, "I'LL KILL HIM!" she screamed in rage.

Brandon quickly ran to her side and shook her shoulder. "Leanna!" he reminded, "Calm down, now. You have to concentrate!" he said before pointing at Anna with his eyes.

Aphrodite realized that Anna was able to hear her clearly, and quickly regained her peace. She inhaled slowly and loudly from her nose and gave Brandon a nod.

Brandon moved to help roll the princess on her back. The assistant placed a clean piece of thick cloth on the table before resting Elsa on it, not willing to make her feel the hard wood of the table with her already scorching back.

"Gently, gently please!" Aphrodite pleaded. Her hands held up, motioning for them to slow down, surprising Anna with her sudden, completely concerned and gentle voice.

Elsa winced a bit, but resettled a moment after.

Aphrodite approached the table again, sensing the cold radiating from her daughter's body in waves. She grabbed a strange-looking tool that looked like a small fire poker from her medical kit, and lifted her head and gave Anna a sorrowful look. Anna didn't like that look. _What did she mean by that?!_ Anna thought, her eyebrows formed a line of concern.

Aphrodite didn't wait for Anna's reaction. She turned to one of her assistants and lent him the flat cautery iron. "Heat this up." she commanded. The assistant gave her an unsure questioned look, but she kept her eyes stern and determined.

The tool was made of iron metal, in which one end had a wooden grip, allowing the healer to hold it safely. And at the other end, the tip of the tool was bent and a flat square piece of metal was attached to it.

Seeing this, Rapunzel placed a hand on her mouth from shock. Tyler and the other men frowned in unease.

_Does that mean she has to-… Oh my god, no!_ Anna finally solved the puzzle and gasped, "Mother, is this really necessary?!"

"Y-Yes… It's the only way to stop the bleeding now. And we don't have much time to decide otherwise." She replied, her voice full with regret. "I have to burn and cauterize her wound." She finished, forcing the others to wince at the mere sound of the word escaping her lips.

_Cauterization_, is an unfortunate medical technique, used to close the wound and stop the severe blood-loss, in an attempt to mitigate damage, remove an undesired growth, or reduce other potential medical harmful possibilities such as infections. The technique requires for Aphrodite to heat the flat square metal piece over fire and apply it to Elsa's dreadful wound. This would cause tissues and blood to heat rapidly to extreme temperatures in turn causing coagulation of the blood, thus controlling the bleeding, at the cost of unfortunate extensive tissue damage.

Anna bit her lip in anxiety, eyes blurred from tears. Gratefully, she never was in a condition that required her to be treated with this disturbing technique. Yet she knew that it obviously causes great and intense pain. All what she can do now, is pray for the princess.

"Brandon, help me remove these!" Aphrodite said, pointing at Elsa's shackles. Then her eyes shot wide when she saw how Elsa's left arm was horribly swollen. "Oh god… it's broken!" she informed.

Aiden collapsed on a chair, his hands on his face. _Damn, I knew it!_ He thought.

Brandon hurried to the other side of the table. His hand disappeared into his vest pocket, then reappeared holding two picks and one tension tool. He started his work with the left shackle lock. He couldn't help but shudder at the sight of Elsa's left arm. The color of skin was unnatural.

Brandon was having a difficult time trying to open these things, but thanks to his years of training and mastery of cunning and lock-picking, he was able to break the locks and opened them. Albeit when he did, the room gasped at the sight. Elsa's wrists were in a horrible condition. Some of the skin was torn, forming a red line of damaged flesh around her wrist. Anna knew it was definitely caused by the effort of pulling.

Aphrodite gingerly held Elsa's left arm, rotating and examining it. She placed back the arm gently on the table and frowned. She closed her eyes and took a shaky and angry breath, trying to calm herself down and using all her mighty force to stop tears from coming down. The others guarded her curiously, waiting for her to continue.

She opened her eyes again, at the sound of her daughter's throaty voice, "P-Papa… Stop... Please stop!" Elsa mumbled. Her body was trembling wildly. Her eyebrows furrowed, her eyes shut tight, her head shook slightly and her lips moved faintly as if having a conversation with someone. "Y-Yes… guilty... I am I am! … A-Anna… I'm sorry…"

_What have you done to her?! What have you done to my daughter!?_ Aphrodite thought, staring at her daughter's silent tears rolling down her battered face.

_Did she just say my name!?_ Anna thought, but she quickly forgot the whole idea when her mother's voice came out.

"I have to snap the bone back in place." Aphrodite regretfully said.

Anna looked back up at her mother, her face unreadable.

Rapunzel scratched her forehead in unease and distress. This was too much for her, but she felt already fond of the princess and her worry for her grew and kept her still, giving her the bit of courage not to run out of the room.

Without saying a word, Aphrodite grabbed Elsa's arm with both hands and a tighter grip, making Elsa wince hardly in pain. Her own breath shook. The others couldn't help but stare. They braced themselves for the upcoming scene.

_This is going to hurt._ Aphrodite thought, giving Elsa one last look.

With one quick move, Aphrodite popped the bone back in place. The only thing heard was Elsa's scream.

The room suddenly became very cold. Tyler looked around in confusion, trying to find the source of the sudden temperature change.

"AAGHH!" Elsa screamed in agony. Her body suddenly and instantly showered in sweat. She squirmed on the table, holding her arm tightly to her chest whilst gasping for air and whimpering in pain.

The thieves heard the nauseating sound of the osseous tissue. Crawling in their ears, sending tingles down their spines. Anna jumped at the disturbing sound of bones popping with an annoyed face expression. Rapunzel looked away and covered her ears, while Flynn held her in his arms.

The assistants quickly rushed to bandage Elsa's arm. First, they laid a straight hard stick on it-in which won't allow Elsa to move her arm and harm it-then wrapped a bit of material round it, trusting that the bone will mend in time.

_At least there was no ice… Maybe her powers disappeared in time? _Aphrodite convinced herself.

Brandon hurried to open the other shackle. Fortunately, her right arm had nothing but scratches.

The room became very quiet. The only things that can be heard were Elsa's loud breaths and whimpers. They knew that it's time for the unwanted treatment.

With a heavy heart, Aphrodite spoke. "Brandon, I need your help in holding her still. This won't be pleasant." She turned and went to bring the now-heated iron cauter.

Brandon completed removing the other shackle, rested Elsa's also damaged right wrist on the table gently, then motioned for Aiden with his head to come and assist him. Brandon stood behind Elsa's head and held her shoulders in place, while Aiden grabbed hold of her legs and restrained her.

Aphrodite grabbed the heated iron cutter, in which the once dark gray square piece, is now disturbingly glowing orange-red from the intense heat overwhelming it. The thieves stared at the thing between Aphrodite's hands in complete unease and fear. They were most grateful that this _thing_ won't be contacting their flesh, but utterly pitiful and heartbroken that it will for the princess.

Aphrodite's hand started trembling whilst holding the heated tool above her daughter's body. Tears rushed to run across her cheeks. Brandon and Aiden hardened and tightened their grip on Elsa. Rapunzel looked away with a whimper, no longer able to watch. Tyler kept staring expressionless, trying to hide his own doleful feelings. Anna didn't stop the tears from falling this time. Her hands opened and closed in distress as she held her breath.

"Ready…?" Aphrodite asked with a trembling breath, getting a nod from both Brandon and Aiden.

Aphrodite placed a hand near Elsa's bleeding wound, and started lowering the blazing inferno. With every nearing inch, their hearts pumped harder. Like a runway train going faster and faster. Pounding rapidly and causing a nonstop earthquake in their chests.

_Forgive me, Elsa._

The moment fire contacted the cold flesh, chaos erupted.

"AAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Elsa shrieked, her larynx threatening to rend itself asunder. Her howl exploded a blast of ice and wind, sending everyone flying to the ground. Ice shot in every direction. The room vibrated like an earthquake and all the windows-of not just the room-but the whole sanctuary's, exploded from the pressure of ice coating it. Objects and furniture threw around the room away from Elsa as far as it could possibly be. Three feet of snow covered the ground. The walls swallowed by thick ice while icicles pinned them. The sounds of wind, explosions, glass shattering and screams of fear echoed around the whole valley, where the fort laid. The villagers outside stared in terror at the sudden ice erupted from the sanctuary.

Luckily everyone was thrown to the ground unharmed. Elsa's sudden reaction gave away all her invisible strength and power entrusted to keep her the very bit conscious. She tumbled back on the table board. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell back to the darkness.

Everyone sat up with groans after regaining their focus.

Flynn rubbed the pain from his forehead. And after remembering what just happened, his jaw dropped and his eyes shot wide with horror. "What… the hell… was that?" He asked with complete shock.

Everyone gaped at the frozen room, speechless. Their eyes did not blink once. They stared at the broken windows, the frozen walls, the snow on the ground, the objects scattered all over the place and the scary looking spikes that grew from the walls.

Brandon turned to Tyler with a smirk, "Do you believe her now?" He asked with a bitter laugh, pointing at Aphrodite with his hand.

Tyler and the others did not respond. They kept staring at the supernatural chaos around them.

_Ice... It's Ice!... Where did it come from?! How?! When?!_ Anna's mind felt blank.

Aphrodite shook her dizziness away. As her eyes settled, she gasped at the condition the room was in. Yet her shock quickly vanished when her eyes landed on her daughter's motionless body laid on the table limp. "Elsa!" she called, her voice full with worry. She ran towards her unmoving daughter, then took her face gently in her hands, turning it gingerly to look at her. "Elsa?" she asked, brushing the now-soaking wet hair off her daughter's face. "Elsa, can you hear me?!" She whispered, her voice barely heard. But she received nothing. Not even a twitch from the eyelids. As Aphrodite's panic arose, it turned her totally oblivious to the small, silent and labored cold breaths coming out of her daughter's lips.

Aphrodite's eyes darted over Elsa's body wildly, looking for any sign of life. Utter worry allowed her eyes to deceive her. "Elsa!… ELSA!... Please, no, no, no, no! What have I done?!" Aphrodite started shaking Elsa's body in panic. Her eyes wide with fright, tears hurried down her cheeks.

Seeing this, Brandon quickly stood up from the snow and ran towards the horrified mother. "Hey, hey, hey... Aphrodite, stop! Don't worry, she's just unconscious. See?" He whispered, enough for only Aphrodite to hear, before he gave her a soothing smile and pointed at Elsa's rising and dropping chest.

Aphrodite blinked at first. But after seeing that Brandon was right, she laughed out a breath in relief while new joyful tears brushed her face.

_She's alive! She's alive!... My baby is going to be okay!_ Aphrodite thought cheerfully.

Just when she thought everything was alright, her eyes fell on the horrible looking burned flesh on her daughter's stomach, and every bit of joy she just felt vanished. She felt sick. The wound was incredibly painful to look at. But at least the bleeding has stopped.

Rapunzel gagged at the sudden smell of burned flesh that erupted inside the room. The odor was extremely revolting and nauseating. Anna grimaced and closed her nose, but she quickly brushed the thought of nausea out of her mind. She stood next to her mother, worry painted her face. "Is she going to be okay?" she asked concerned, taking one of Elsa's hands in hers, but quickly recoiled as she felt how cold it was. Brandon and Aphrodite guarded her with confusion.

"It's nothing." Anna reassured. Not willing to concern them more.

"She will be alright." Brandon replied though.

"Are you people blind!?" Tyler suddenly blurted before standing up on his trembling legs. "Can't you see the ice!?... IT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE!" He yelled with fright.

"It didn't come out of nowhere… the princess created all this." Aphrodite said, not wanting to reveal that the unconscious princess in front of Anna, is actually her daughter.

"Can things get any weirder?" Aiden asked with a mocking voice while brushing the snow off his clothes.

"Yeah, about that…" Anna started nervously, "Since now we know about the powers and all, I think we should tell you about what we saw back in Arendelle." She said rubbing her hands awkwardly.

"What do you mean?" Aphrodite asked. Worry started to grow.

"Uhm, well… let's just say, Arendelle is… completely frozen… Literally."

"What…?" Aphrodite asked. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

Anna laughed nervously while rubbing the back of her neck. "And now we know why." She finished, looking at Elsa with an unsure grin.

Aphrodite turned her back to the others and wrapped her arms around her middle in nervousness. _Did her powers really become that strong?! Freezing a whole kingdom?!_ Aphrodite's mind said. _What if someone was hurt?!_

_So be it! Let him freeze to death with his whole kingdom! He was the one responsible for our misery! Let his people burn him on a stake! _The other half of her mind yelled.

_Then it means… what if Elsa sees me!? Oh god, no!... what if she gets angry at me?! This _is _all my fault! Her torture! Her pain and agony are all my fault! If I had been careful, I would have saved her back then!_

"Mum!" Anna snapped, waking Aphrodite from her war of thoughts.

"Hmm…?" Aphrodite replied with an absent face.

"I've been calling you for like five times!... is everything okay?" Anna asked, reaching her mother's arm.

_No… nothing is okay!... Everything is wrong! Everything! _Aphrodite thought again. _But… I got Elsa back… and she's going to be fine, right? I got my baby finally back!... but she's in pain! And it's my fault, my fault!_

Aphrodite groaned aloud in frustration. Everyone watched her in confusion. Her eyes closed and her hands massaged her temples, trying to get rid of the headache.

After a few seconds, Aphrodite opened her eyes and turned to look at the assistants whom were still staring around the frozen room in awe. "Deal with everything else." She said pointing at Elsa's other minor injuries, before she started walking out of the room.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" Anna asked, pulling her mother's arm.

"Waela and Yagmur will take care of her while I'm gone. Be sure not lay her on her back, it's already damaged enough. Move her to another room. This one is not… superior anymore." Aphrodite informed the assistants before she pulled away from Anna and walked to the door, then stopped. "I… I need some time alone." She said over her shoulder with a voice full with sorrow.

Anna was about to protest, but Brandon grabbed her arm and shook his head at her. Anna understood that her mother is confused and tired. And that she needs to rest. But she did not see how her mother's heart was shredding itself into pieces. The guilt, regret, anger and depression. Anna was oblivious to see any of these in her mother's eyes.

Aphrodite walked out of the room, and the door closed behind her. The room turned silent.

_Anna doesn't understand what her mother is going through._ Aiden thought. _She doesn't know that this princess is actually her sister, and that her mother had to see her daughter in pain with her own eyes._

Anna and Rapunzel moved to help the assistants in bandaging Elsa's injuries. "Rapunzel, go get some clothes. I'll help them transfer her from here first." Anna dominated.

Rapunzel nodded, then scurried outside to bring the garments.

"We should clean this up." Flynn said, pointing around the messy, damaged room.

"Clean?!... It's destroyed!" Tyler yelled in irritation. "The whole sanctuary exploded with ice!"

"Could you stop whining for god's sake!" Brandon suddenly snapped. "The others outside are already terrified. We need to calm them down and explain what happened. Hopefully, they'll understand… Now, come on!" He motioned for Tyler to follow with a commanding voice.

Brandon opened the now-crooked and frozen door, erupting sounds of loud murmurs and yells into the room. Terrorized and confused members of the guild and villagers waited outside for explanations on the sudden explosions of ice that was summoned upon them out of nowhere.

"Did you see it!?"

"Where did it come from?!"

"I saw it!... It came out of the walls!"

"No, the room!.. Where they entered with that pale woman!"

Brandon took a deep breath and went outside, before closing the door.

"Aiden, come help us out." Anna ordered.

Aiden picked Elsa up with the most delicate and gentle touch before resting her head on his muscular chest.

Anna led the way out, followed by Aiden and the assistants. People stared at them in shock, some in pity as they passed.

* * *

Aphrodite opened her bedroom door slowly, entered, then closed it. Grief slowed her movements. She leaned her back to the door, then slid down and brought her knees to her chest. Suddenly, she let out the sorrowful tears she'd been holding, and cried her heart out.

_What have I done?!... What have I done?! _She thought, before she brought her hands to her face and let out a loud doleful sob.

An hour had passed, and a knock on the door woke Aphrodite from her sleep. She opened her eyes slowly, before rubbing them fully awake. She gasped silently as she realized that she cried herself to sleep on the floor, in front of the door. Another loud knock snapped her back to attention, accompanied by Brandon's voice. "Aphrodite?" He called, his whisper showed worry.

Aphrodite stood up, straightened her robe and took the posture of a queen. Something she did not use for a very long time. She opened the door, revealing Brandon standing with concern.

"Hey." He said, after seeing her puffy, red eyes and the lines across her cheeks that were left from tears.

"Hey…" She said before she walked back inside her room, sat on her bed and stared at the ground.

Brandon had easily sensed her sadness and unease. He sighed before he walked towards her and knelt next to her and leaned his head down so he can look up her face.

"Aphrodite," He said, making sure no one else was in the room but them. "I know what you're thinking right now…" He paused then, "Don't."

Aphrodite chuckled sarcastically, "No one knows what I'm thinking and feeling right now."

Brandon knew she was right. No one can exactly feel what she is going through. He sighed again, then, "Aphrodite… you should be grateful for your daughter's return!... You should be happy! Elsa is back-"

"Happy?!... She's back?!" She laughed sarcastically louder again, "How is she _back _while she's like that?!... Dying!" She stood and looked down on him with angry eyes. "She can barely move! Barely breathe!... How is this 'back' to you!?" she asked poking his chest with irritation. "News from Arendelle said she died eight years ago!... Why do you think my husband would hide her from the world!? Heck, I don't even know how long she's been t-tortured like that!" She said, her voice cracking. Felt unable to even pronounce the word 'Torture' without wincing, and especially when the word actually involved her daughter's situation.

"But think about it this way! Your daughter will soon wake up, and she'll be overjoyed seeing you-" Brandon had tried to cheer her, but she cut him off.

"Overjoyed?!... She'll kill me the moment she sees me! She definitely hates me already after I abandoned her! -And don't you DARE say 'we had no choice'!" She yelled, holding her hand in front of his face before he can utter another annoying word.

Suddenly, Aphrodite's anger dissipated and replaced with shame and sadness. "Brandon," She said, surprising Brandon with her sudden regretful voice. "I can't… Anna should not know." She sighed heavily, then looked at him with teary, most woeful eyes. "Elsa too."

"What?!... Aphrodite, listen to me-"

"No, Brandon!… Not even Elsa should know." She said, tears finally ran down her cheeks. Yet her eyes were determined. But as soon as she found her courage to say the most regretful words, it quickly vanished and turned to grief.

Brandon was about to argue, but his eyes widened when Aphrodite started sobbing. His face softened, and he wrapped his arms around her, trying to soothe her. "Aphrodite… Elsa doesn't hate you."

"How do you know that?" She said with a cold, yet shaky voice.

"I just know-"

"HOW?!" She suddenly snapped, pulled herself away from his arms and looked at him, downhearted. "I was never there for her!... When she cried for help! When she was scared! When she was being tortured by her father! When she was in PAIN!" Tears of grief streamed down her cheeks uncontrollably. Her breath and voice quivered. "I never w-was there to comfort her! To stop him from h-hurting her! To make her feel safe! I wasn't I wasn't!... I promised her, I PROMISED!" Aphrodite's body started trembling. "I told her I would protect her! AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!... DEATH WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE MERCIFUL THAT WHAT SHE'S IN NOW!... I have missed her entire life! I can never get that back!... NEVER! What do you expect me to tell her to make her understand!?... To tell her how I spent all these years regretting every minute I breathed while she was still locked with that son of a beast of a father!... How can I make her see that my heart and mind never abandoned her!..." Aphrodite couldn't take it anymore. She let out a loud, sorrowful sob and fell to her knees. "That… that I didn't l-leave her a-alone on purpose…" Her voice came out like a whisper. "Brandon, she SHOULD despise me! She has every right to do so!" Aphrodite had it. She allowed her sobs and cries take over her while rocking back and forth in distress and misery.

_Why? Why? Why? Why?!_ Aphrodite thought whilst crying._ I thought she died! i thought her death was my fault!... But it's worse! much worse!_

Brandon watched in melancholy, and felt helpless. All what he could say, even if it was the most unwelcome thing to ask in this situation, "H-How are you going to hide this from Elsa?... She… She will definitely recognize you."

Aphrodite's eyes shot wide. For Brandon was right. _Oh my god…_ She thought. _How didn't I think of that before?!_

She looked back up to Brandon's worried eyes. The next words shocked Brandon in disbelief. "I won't let her see me." She said.

"W-what…?"

"I-I won't let her see me!" She repeated louder. "I will stay out of her sight, and I will inform Rapunzel and the others to keep her away from the infirmary."

"But Aphrodite–" He tried to reason in bewilderment.

"No, Brandon! This is it… She had been living in misery all because of me! She hates me!... a-and seeing me won't make it any better for her." She said, her face full with shame, before she pulled her hood back over her head.

Brandon stared at her in disbelief, but he knew she won't listen to him. He sighed heavily and spoke. "Then you have little time to say your goodbyes." He said, his voice stern, yet full with regret.

Aphrodite felt a dagger dash through her heart. Her blood ran cold, and she quickly turned her back to him, not willing to show him her shocked face.

Brandon started walking towards the bedroom door, not uttering another word. He opened the door. And before stepping out, he looked at her from his shoulder and spoke. "I hope you know what you're doing." And closed the door shut. The sound of the slamming echoed in her ears.

Aphrodite stared at the ground for several minutes, trying to adjust Brandon's words in her mind. _He said I got her back… But now I'm going to lose her again!... But… but at least she's safe._ She thought, convincing herself. She turned her face to look at the door that lay in front of her, and she knew what she should do next.

* * *

Anna sat next to where Elsa was sleeping. Clutching her not-yet-known-to-be-her-sister's hand tightly, not caring about the coldness anymore. She watched in concern as Elsa's sweat ran down her pained face.

Elsa laid on her side, in a way that her stomach made a forty-five degree angle to the bed, not allowing her to press on the wound, while leaving her back exposed to Anna, who was trying to ease Elsa's pain by brushing a cold soaked piece of cloth on her back like the assistants suggested. Elsa was covered with sheets from her middle and downwards, leaving her back bare, yet full with red lines and gashes. Her eyes closed, yet Anna was utterly grateful for Elsa had stopped trembling. Something she hasn't stopped doing since they saw her back then in the cellar.

Anna turned to the nightstand, where a bowl laid in front of her, her eyebrows kept furrowing in concern, and dipped the piece of cloth in the bowl that held the fresh cold water. She held it up again, squeezed slightly the water out of it, before she brushed it very delicately and carefully on Elsa's stinging and scorching back.

_You know why you're here don't you? _

Anna remembered the king's words, directed to the princess back in the cellar when they first saw her.

_I'm a-a-a criminal… m-monster… murderer_

The princess's trembling voice rang in Anna's ears, and made her shiver. _Why would she say she's all those things?! Is she talking about her powers?!... _Anna thought while giving the unconscious Elsa a questioned, yet concerned look.

_Whatever you'll see don't let her feel different from the rest!_

Anna frowned in annoyance, after remembering Kai's heartbreaking words.

"I won't… She'll be safe and happy, I promise." She said to no one.

A knock on the door brought Anna back from her thoughts. "Come in." She called.

The door opened slowly, revealing Aphrodite's stern look again, yet Anna can see the glimpse of fear and sadness in her mother's eyes.

"Hey." Aphrodite said, her voice gentle.

"Hey…" Anna replied with a warm and sad smile.

"How is she doing?" Aphrodite asked, before she walked to the side of the bed, and sat carefully next to her daughters. Her heart broke at the sight of her daughter's back.

"She'll be okay, I promised her." Anna said with a determined voice that made Aphrodite wince at the sound of it, as she remembered these familiar words she used herself a long time ago. Yet she completely failed to keep them.

"What's with the hood?!" Anna suddenly blurted.

"I… uhm… I'm just… I'm just cold, that's all." Aphrodite replied nervously.

Anna shook her head in amusement with a scoff. "Tell me about it." She deadpanned.

A moment of silence spread the room, the only sound that could be heard was the squeezed water dripping in the bowl. Then Aphrodite spoke.

"Anna, I… you should go to sleep. I'll stay with her."

Anna thought for a second. She was exhausted, and she trusted her mother's capability of handling this, so she didn't disagree. "Fine, but I'll be sleeping here tonight." She said before she stood, handed the wet piece of cloth to her mother, and started walking out of the room. "I'll be back. I just need to bring some things first, so I can sleep properly."

"Alright, dear." Aphrodite said with a warm smile.

Anna walked out of the room, before closing the door behind her, leaving a mother and a wounded daughter alone.

Aphrodite stared at the door for a minute. She didn't want to turn and see her daughter's condition again. It crushed her soul to just remember it. Aphrodite closed her eyes, took a deep, shaky breath, and forced herself to turn to Elsa's back. Her eyes fluttered open, and she felt a wave of intense grief spread around her whole body. "No…" she whispered, trying to tell herself that this wasn't real. She started chanting the troll's words in her mind. The words that she never wanted nor did believe. Yet here she is, living them.

_Your future is bleak_

Elsa's back was a terrible and painful thing to look at. The bloody fresh whipping marks forced Tears to form in Aphrodite's eyes, but the old scars forced them to roll down her cheeks. _How long had he been doing this to her!? _

_Whilst chains, you'll fight the pain_

Aphrodite's movement slowed from the sorrows overwhelming her. She remembered the strange shackles that gripped her daughter's hands. She dipped the piece of cloth again in the bowl, soaking it with cold water. Then started brushing her daughter's back gingerly. Water emerged with blood.

_Pale lands shall be struck with winds of agony_

She stared at the whipping marks on her daughter's pale back. Not stopping her tears from coming down.

_And with every struck shall melt red snow_

_That will bring life to red rivers with tragedy_

Aphrodite looked at the blood that came out of her daughter's split skin, and streamed down her daughter's back like rivers of red water.

_Although the screams were high and harsh_

She closed her eyes tight after remembering her daughter's shriek when she plunged the inferno into her stomach.

_None shall notice the insanity beyond the gates_

She grimaced in anger at her husband's actions: Hiding her daughter from the world, torture her and starve her. She couldn't help but notice the obvious rib cage of her daughter's skinny body.

_Only sun rays shall fight their way in_

She grinned sadly, and looked at where her strawberry-blonde daughter went a while ago.

She looked back at her pale daughter, placed the piece of cloth back in the bowl, and leaned forward, hugging her daughter carefully, for the first time in years, and for the last time after. She started crying and sobbing, letting her tears drip on her daughter's platinum head. She leaned back and brushed Elsa's wet bangs out of her face, and kissed her forehead for several long seconds, lingering every moment, saying her goodbyes. _I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry, my baby!... You are free, now. My baby is free. _She thought stroking Elsa's hair, then spoke the last words through her sobs. The words that sent shivers down her spines.

"And free the ice behind bars."

* * *

**Review ! :) I really hope you're having fun reading this!...oh! and i edited a picture of Elsa for the story! just go to my deviantart Lany19.**

**Google it : "Elsa by Lany19" then head to google images. it should be the first one. you can't miss it.**

**Special thanks to Loridhhp, she helped me improve my writing greatly ! Thank you Loriiii ! and thanks to all who helped find my mistakes.**

**Next Chapter : Panic**


	13. Panic

**Hello, everyone :) Okay i have nothing too say XD just enjoy!**

**Oh and please review and don't be lazy!**

**Reviews makes me joyful!**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XII : Panic

Anna walked in the hallways of the sanctuary while she held several sheets and covers. Multiple guild members gave her a confused look as she passed, while others tried to clean the mess and the ice that Elsa made. Rapunzel and Kristoff were helping with breaking the ice off the walls when they noticed Anna passed. "Anna!" Kristoff called while he waved. Rapunzel had already told him the whole story. The ice princess, the cruel king-in which she did not reveal that he was Anna's father- The cause of Arendelle's snowy summer and the ice explosion that erupted few hours ago, but she did not say anything about Aphrodite's true identity nor that Elsa was actually Anna's sister.

Anna stopped in her tracks and turned to face them with a grin. "Hey, guys." She said, her voice revealed her tiredness. She struggled to keep the covers from touching the floor, for she was a petite woman who held huge and thick covers.

The two left what they were doing and trotted towards her. "Here, let me help you with that." Kristoff offered with a smile, before he held the other covers, and left Anna with one.

"Anna, what are all these for?" Rapunzel asked while she pointed at the several covers in Anna's arms.

"Oh, that? Yeah, I'm gonna sleep in the princess's bedroom tonight. Someone needs to watch over her in case, you know… She wakes up. And well," She wrapped the cover she held around herself playfully, and left only her eyes exposed. "The room will be definitely cold tonight… if not frozen even." She said. Her humored voice muffled from behind the covers.

Rapunzel felt as if Anna already knew about Elsa's powers. Or that if Anna was already familiar with the fact that a woman can easily conjure ice out of thin air, or for that matter, Magic. It seems as if everything was normal to her, and that ice explodes normally every day in rooms. Anna did not seem surprised or concerned about the Ice that coated the walls in the middle of summer as much as she was for the princess's condition. Rapunzel knew that Anna didn't even care about the ice. She knew that Anna _instinctively_ only cared about her sister. Yet after what Brandon explained about the royal family's history, she felt sad for Anna when he told them about her memory removal.

Kristoff laughed at his friend's antics. Even after what she saw, Anna still managed to keep her playful and happy character. "Come on, I'll help you get these to the room." Kristoff volunteered.

"Thanks." Anna said while she blushed.

Rapunzel noticed her friend's red cheeks, and a smirk crossed her face. _Ouuuuh, this is gonna be fun! She totally likes him!_

"I'll go back and help the others." Rapunzel said. "Anna… Please be careful. I don't wanna wake up and see my friend turned into an ice sculpture!" She deadpanned, before she wrapped Anna in a hug.

"I will." Anna broke from the hug and smiled at Rapunzel. "I'll see you tomorrow morning then."

Rapunzel nodded with a smile and walked away, back to help the others to remove the ice.

"Well, come on, let's go." Anna said while she motioned for Kristoff to follow.

The two walked silently in the hallways, both of them tried to sneak a glance at the other nervously. Anna couldn't take it anymore. She had to say something and break the awkward silence she despised.

"Well, the room is just around the corner… Uhm, where are you going to sleep tonight? I-I mean, do you have a home somewhere… or, a place to stay?" she asked awkwardly, and mentally facepalmed herself for having the stupid courage to ask such a question.

"Um… I… I don't have a home." He said while he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I actually sleep inside the barns outside the kingdom. Sometimes I sleep in my sled… You know, it's just me and Sven."

"Mister, you're a lucky man! You'll be sleeping with us tonight in the sanctuary!" She said happily, but when she noticed Kristoff's blush, her eyes widened as she readjusted the words she just said. "I-I-I mean… OH MY GOD! What did I just say!? I'm s-sorry… U-Uhm, oh g-god… this is really awkward, I didn't mean it like that. I-I'm not gonna f-force you to sleep with us or anything… hehe… you know what I mean?! AH!... Forget I just said that! It's just that you are… I am… Ishouldreallystoptalkingrightnow." She rambled before she literally facepalmed, her face bright red from embarrassment that it looks like it's about to explode.

Kristoff stood there for a second and blinked at her. Anna was about to run and throw herself off a cliff, but Kristoff spoke. "I… Y-Yeah, sure, if you don't mind, I'll just sleep in the fort's barn."

Anna's hands were on her red face. She slid a finger from one of her blue-gray eyes and looked at him. She was relieved to see him smiling at her warmly. She let her hands fall from her face, and rubbed them nervously. "Uhm, yeah of course!... I mean, if you're not comfortable in here or anything, you can choose to sleep wherever you want in the fort." She replied with an unsure smile.

"Thank you." He replied with his handsome smile that made Anna blush heavier and she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ears nervously.

They lost themselves in each other's eyes and never noticed that they now stood in front of Elsa's new bedroom door.

_She is really beautiful._ Kristoff thought.

_He's really handsome. _Anna thought.

The door suddenly opened, and they quickly snapped out of their dreams and looked to see Aphrodite was standing in front of them. Her hood covered her head, her eyes puffy, yet rigid and stern. Aphrodite cast a warning glance to Kristoff, who tensed and felt as if his soul was burning from just the look of her intimidating eyes. And he quickly understood the picture, 'Stay away from my daughter'.

Aphrodite was surprised to see Anna and a man standing in front of the door, just staring at each other. She quickly understood that her daughter is confronting new feelings. Aphrodite wanted her daughter's safety. She didn't know the man yet here he is, standing in front of her daughter. And she knew that just with a look of her regal and rigid eyes, she can tell Kristoff many words. And she was glad that he understood that as he quickly took a step back from Anna. Aphrodite turned her head again to look at her daughter, "Send someone to inform me when she wakes up. I won't be able to come, but it's good to hear the news at least. I'll be busy in the infirmary the next several days, and I require no disturbance, do you hear me?" Aphrodite spoke with her regal voice.

Anna was confused. She did not know why her mother was talking to her like that nor did she understand why she gave that look to Kristoff. But she didn't want to argue with her mother, and especially when she's in this mood.

"Okay…" Anna nodded, not willing to upset her mother at all.

Aphrodite gave her a small grin before she walked away. Kristoff and Anna kept their eyes on her, until she disappeared around the corner. "What was that all about?" He asked while his eyes kept on where Aphrodite went.

"Nah, it's nothing." Anna replied while she waved a hand to dismiss Kristoff's worry. "She's always like that… Stern and disciplined and stuff, but she's softer than muffins on the inside." Anna reassured him.

"Muffins?" Kristoff asked mockingly.

"Yeah!" Anna replied innocently.

A moment of silence crept around them, until Anna spoke again. "Um, Kristoff… I never had time to thank you." She said with a hesitant smile.

"What for?" He asked innocently.

"You know… For helping us bringing the princess here." She said while she pointed with her head to the opened bedroom door.

"Nahh, it was nothing." He said blushing. "Besides, you are the hero here." He encouraged her.

Anna giggled then, "No, really. If it wasn't for your help, we wouldn't be able to bring her here safely." She said while she placed a hand on his shoulder, and she received a blush and a crooked smile from him.

_Cute._ She thought.

"Well," She removed her hand from his shoulder nervously, took a step back and stood straighter. "I-uh… I better get inside, now."

"Oh! Right, sorry." He said nervously and handed her the other covers. "I'll… see you around then."

"Yeah, sure." She said with a radiant smile.

"Okay then, bye." He waved and started walking away, yet his face still turned to her.

"Bye…" Anna replied with a gentle voice while she entered the room.

"Bye." He said awkwardly again.

Anna giggled a bit, "Bye." before she closed the door behind her.

* * *

Anna closed the door behind her, and quickly glanced at Elsa's figure. Elsa now wore a peasant loose dress, that wouldn't compress Elsa's wounds. Her feet were still bare, and she noticed the new bandages around Elsa's torso, injured arms and legs.

_Looks like mother really cares about you huh? _She thought looking at Elsa pitifully.

She walked to the other side of the room and placed the covers on a mattress, where she would be sleeping and spread the covers around. Satisfied from the new bed she created, she turned and walked towards Elsa's bed.

Anna sat at the bedside, next to Elsa's sleeping form.

_She should really be exhausted. I won't expect her to wake up until tomorrow. _She thought, before her eyes widened when she noticed that the princess's hair was washed and clean. It amazed her to see how bright her platinum hair was. It looked even almost white now.

Anna giggled silently a bit. _Snow and Ice powers… That explains your hair. _She thought jokingly and smiled fondly at her sister.

Then a thought ran her mind. She stared at the long platinum blonde loose hair that spread on the pillow. _How about we braid that for you?_

Anna leaned forward and grabbed hold of Elsa's hair gently, and started braiding it in one long braid. When she finished, she nodded in satisfaction. She was about to push the princess's bangs away from her face and clip them back, but her heart shuddered when she saw Elsa's battered face. _That bastard!... How could he do all this to her?!_ Anna bit her lip, forcing the tears not to roll down her cheeks. _Let's keep those bangs loose then._

Anna noticed that the princess was sleeping on her side, her eyebrows furrowed unconsciously, her hands and wrists contacted, her legs brought a bit up, but close to each other too, as if she was bound. Anna felt her heart break. The princess slept as if she was still shackled and bound with chains. Anna could only understand that the princess was used to sleeping like that. _How long have you been in there?! _The thought made Anna shiver. The fact that someone sleeps unconsciously like that, can only be explained that it happens routinely. And Anna didn't want to believe that the princess was locked for a long time.

The sound of Elsa's mumblings snapped her back to attention. "Papa… please… it hurts!... M-Mama…"

Anna noticed how the princess called her parents in a childlike way. _Mama and Papa?_ _What is she, si_x_?_ And that only grew her suspicions about Elsa's period of being locked in the dungeons.

"Kill… Frozen… I'm sorry!" Elsa's breath quickened and she started to whimper, "No love… No feel… monster!" Elsa had started to shake her head. Anna noticed how the princess had started to sweat and tremble again. "No, no… pain… p-pain… pain!"

Anna brought a shaky hand to her forehead. She didn't know what she should do. All what she could though, was to watch in concern and hope for the princess.

* * *

The next morning, Rapunzel, Aiden and Flynn quickly rushed to Elsa's room. They stood in front of the door, unsure on what to do, or what to expect to find. Rapunzel knocked softly on the door. They heard a yawn and then footsteps. The door creaked open and they gasped in surprise.

"Anna, what happened to you?!" Flynn asked in a mocking, humored way.

Anna stood in front of them with half closed eyes, and dark circles formed underneath them. She looked as if she hadn't slept in ages.

Anna didn't answer. She stepped aside and motioned for them to come in. After they obliged, they were surprised when they felt how cold the room was. The three stood in front of her with questioned looks, and darted their eyes between Anna's exhausted form and Elsa's still motionless one. Then Anna finally spoke.

"I couldn't sleep… She was screaming and yelling, having some sort of nightmare," She yawned loudly then spoke. "I had to stay awake and watch over her." She turned and started walking towards Elsa. "Beside the fact that I was about to freeze to death." She joked.

"She sure is a sleeper." Flynn noted while he pointed at Elsa with his head.

"Don't be ridiculous, she probably hadn't slept for a long time… Flynn, she was hung. We found her hung on a hook. How could someone ever find sleep like that?" Rapunzel explained.

"She hadn't opened her eyes since you brought her here." Flynn argued.

"Being unconscious isn't sleeping, Einstein!" Aiden mocked Flynn. "Even if she wakes up, she'll definitely be exhausted."

"WAIT!" Anna suddenly cried out while she leaned closer to Elsa's face. "She's waking up!" Anna said while her face lit up and her heart thrummed rapidly.

Everyone rushed to the bedside and stared, eyes wide at the princess who was trying to open her eyes groggily and stir a bit.

_Come on, girl… you can do it. Just fight your way awake._ Anna thought excitedly.

Elsa felt a huge headache run in her head. She winced at the pain and aches overwhelming her muscles. Elsa was used to sleeping on stony hard floors. She felt an unfamiliar material brushing her skin, which was a soft and cozy bed underneath her. _What…? _She thought. Her mind not yet focused. She did not know why her cellar seemed lit so brightly. Then she heard an unfamiliar voice, "Hey…" the voice said. Elsa shot her eyes wide. She quickly stirred and found four figures close to her, too close, staring at her. She gasped in horror and jumped out of the bed, but her strength was extremely weak and she fell on the floor, then quickly turned to face them, eyes wide with fright and dizziness overwhelmed her. Where was she? How did she get here? What are these things around her? Who are these people? She did not know. Her mind rolled in utter bewilderment.

"Hey, don't worry-" Anna tried to comfort the horrified princess, but she was shocked at the princess's voice.

"STAY AWAY!" Elsa suddenly cried while she crawled away from the four people that stood in front of her. _Who are these?! Where am I?!_ Elsa's wide cyan eyes darted uncontrollably around the unfamiliar room. But all what she saw were four unfamiliar people. Yet one strawberry blonde woman gave her the shivers and she had no idea why.

"Just calm down-" The redhead woman's voice was very soothing, but Elsa was too horrified. Anna tried to reach her again, but Elsa quickly stood up shakily and yelled again in terror.

"I SAID STAY AWAY!" Elsa yelled, stumbled backwards and her back hit a bookshelf hard enough to send books flying to the ground.

"Anna, she's terrified!" Rapunzel pointed the obvious.

"PLEASE! DON'T HURT ME! STAY BACK!" Elsa cried again as she tried to stay back as far as she could from these strangers. Her heart raced, her chest tightened, her breath was fast, really fast.

"Calm down! We won't hurt you-" Anna tried again to walk closer, her hands held high as she motioned for the princess to remain calm. "NO!" Elsa shrieked, quickly recoiled away and ran unsteadily to the other corner of the room, sending a chair to the ground as she passed, her head never turned from the four thieves. She tried to back away as much as she can again. She darted her head again around the room, trying to find a way to escape, a way to hide. Elsa started to tremble in horror. _They'll hurt me! They'll hurt me! They are going to hurt me!_

The four thieves watched in horror as the princess trashed and wrecked the room around them, destroying everything as she tried to run away.

_Wow, look at those eyes!_ Aiden thought, unable not to stare at the cyan terrified and bloodshot eyes.

Elsa's panic made her lose her balance. She fell backwards and landed on a table. Her right hand gripped the table, and suddenly, the table and the wall behind froze entirely with a hiss, yet Elsa was too dizzy and petrified and never noticed the ice. Adrenaline rushed in her blood and all what she felt was her heart thrumming his way out of her chest and all what she saw were four people who were going to hurt her then kill her. "S-S-STAY!... A-AWAY!" Elsa couldn't breathe anymore, she began gasping for air rapidly. She felt an immense pressure on her chest, yet she didn't care. All what she wanted to do is get away from the four people.

The thieves' took a step back as they saw the ice formed behind the princess.

_Oh my…_ Rapunzel thought, her eyes couldn't leave the frozen wall and table.

Anna's eyes shot wide in concern, "Please! Just calm down, you're hurting yourself!" Anna cried when she saw the blood forming on the princess's dress, on her stomach. _Her wound!_ Anna thought horrified.

The adrenaline rushing in Elsa's body turned her senseless to pain. She did not sense the warm wetness on her belly nor pain of the reopened wound. Elsa shook her head vigorously at them, then stumbled back to the floor, and landed on her left arm. "AAGHH!" She cried in agony. This time, she felt the sudden intense pain that spread in her arm.

When she hit the floor, ice crept out of Elsa's right hand and crawled passed the thieves-who quickly jumped away-and all the way to the desk on the other side of the room.

Anna rushed to check on her, but Elsa flinched away quickly and crawled backwards, not caring about her arm. _Pain, pain, pain! PAIN!_ Was all what Elsa was thinking of.

Just when Anna thought things couldn't get any worse, suddenly, the bedroom door flew open and revealed Tyler and Brandon. "What the hell is going on here?!" Tyler yelled.

Tyler's loud voice rang in Elsa's ears, sending a wave of dread in her mind. Her vision blurred from panic. _He's_ _Angry... He's yelling… Papa is yelling at me! I did something wrong! He's going to hurt me! NO! _Elsa's eyes kept darting uncontrollably between the thieves, and tried to locate her father. When she failed, she quickly hid her head between her arms and cowered. "P-Papa please, please! I'M SORRY I-I'M S-S-SORRY!" Her voice trembled.

Elsa's terrified mind mistook Tyler's loud and harsh voice for her father's. Elsa instinctively did what she always did when her father is in rage. Still lying on the floor, Elsa brought her hands to her face, ignoring the pain in her left arm, and started crying, waiting for her absent father to come and beat her up. Blood soaked her dress, her mind haunted with confusion and panic. Chaos erupted in her mind, she couldn't think straight. She suddenly felt light-headed and she turned paler from blood-loss, then she went limp and fell to the darkness.

The room suddenly became silent. Everyone just froze, shocked and bewildered. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" Anna suddenly snapped at Tyler.

"What?!... what did I do?!" He asked in confusion.

Anna ignored his question and ran towards her sister. She knelt beside Elsa and her eyes shot wide with concern when she saw the blood. "Oh, no!... Aiden, go get my mum!" Anna commanded.

Aiden nodded quickly and scurried out of the room to oblige. His eyes did not leave Elsa's form.

Some members poked their head inside the room to see what happened. Some were shocked, others were terrified and very few ignored the ice and stared in concern at the princess that lay on the ground.

Brandon and Flynn quickly rushed to place the princess on the bed. "What happened?!" Brandon asked again, concerned.

Anna flew her hands in the air in irritation and spoke, "I don't know! She just woke up and freaked out! She tried to run away from us and ended up freezing the room again! I tried to calm her down, but she was too terrified!... Until Mister Tyler here, decided to show up and yell!"

"How should I know she was awake?!... God! She's trying to bring this sanctuary down on our heads with this curse of hers!" Tyler tried to prove his innocence.

"WHAT?!" Anna snapped, "She didn't mean any of this! Sh-She was just scared!"

"Like hell it is." Tyler scoffed.

Brandon glared at Tyler and shut him up.

Anna groaned in frustration and turned to face her sister again. Her face fell to a concerned one, as she remembered the way the princess was crying from her father in fear. _You shouldn't be afraid… You're safe, you're safe!_ _I promised!_ Anna thought as if she was talking to the princess.

* * *

Aphrodite was in her room as she prepared herself for today's business. She stood in front of the mirror and stared at her puffy eyes. She cried herself to sleep last night. She sighed heavily in depression as she remembered her daughter. Then she was brought back from her thoughts when she heard multiple footsteps running outside in the hallways. She lifted her eyebrows in confusion and walked towards the door, opened it and saw multiple members passing quickly. _What's happening?!_ She thought.

"Leanna!" Aiden called as he passed through the rushing people, not forgetting that she was the queen, but he didn't want to reveal her secret in front of the members.

Aphrodite looked at him with wide concerned eyes. "Aiden, what's wrong?! Why is everyone running?!"

Aiden stopped in front of her while he panted. "It's… It's Elsa!" He managed to say.

Aphrodite's eyes widened in fear, "Elsa?!" She gripped his shoulders and shook them. "What happened?! Is Elsa alright?! Did something happen to her?! TELL ME!" Aphrodite's tears ran down her cheeks. _Elsa died, Elsa died! He just doesn't want to tell me! _She thought, but her fear quickly vanished when Aiden spoke again.

"She… She woke up!" He said through his panting.

Aphrodite's eyes lit up with joy. And she laughed in relief and glee.

"But…" Aiden said.

_But?! BUT WHAT?!... Did something happen?! Oh, NO! _Aphrodite didn't wait for him to continue, she sprinted towards her daughter's room and didn't look back at Aiden's calls.

Aphrodite saw the crowd that formed outside Elsa's room, "Move away!" She commanded.

When she entered, she saw how Anna clutched Elsa's hand. But Elsa wasn't awake. Aphrodite's wide eyes darted around the trashed room and ice. "What happened?!" She asked then gasped as she took sight of the blood.

"Mother, please come quick! Her wound… it's, it's… " Anna tried to say, but she lost her voice to anxiety.

"Let me see!" Aphrodite hurried to Elsa's side and began examining the wound.

Brandon knew that Aphrodite had to strip Elsa's torso so he commanded everyone to get out of the room. "Everyone get out… Tyler, come on." Everyone went out, leaving Aphrodite, Anna and Rapunzel with the princess.

* * *

A half hour had passed and Aphrodite was able to stop the bleeding. Luckily, Elsa's wound didn't open enough to be life threatening. Aphrodite was utterly relieved, as she only needed to bandage the stab wound on Elsa's stomach and not cauterize it again. "This should do." She said before she finished rolling tighter the new bandage around Elsa's left arm.

Anna and Rapunzel released a heavy breath they never knew they kept.

"Thank God!" Rapunzel breathed and slumped back in a chair.

Both Anna and Rapunzel didn't want Elsa to go through cauterization again. And they were utterly worried about it.

"What should we do?... She'll probably freak out again when she wakes up, and unintentionally spread ice all over the place again." Anna noted.

"Gloves." Aphrodite said flatly.

"What?" Anna asked, confused. "How will simple gloves stop her powers from being released?!"

Aphrodite sighed, "Just do what I say, and give her gloves." She said her voice showed that she was in no mood for an argument. Aphrodite stood up from the bedside, "I… I need to go now." She said then turned to Rapunzel and pointed at her oblivious daughters with her eyes.

Anna didn't even acknowledge her mother's goodbye. She kept staring in concern at Elsa as she held her cold hand.

Rapunzel understood what that means and gave Aphrodite a reassuring nod. _Keep them away from the infirmary, don't let them know. Got it._

* * *

Aiden, Flynn and Kristoff waited outside the room, after they reassured Brandon and Tyler that they would stay here and check on the women inside when they are finished.

Aiden was sitting on a barrel while he tapped his fingers together in unease. "Damn," He suddenly breathed.

Flynn and Kristoff were leaning on the wall when they gave him a confused look. "What's wrong, dude?" Flynn asked.

"What…?" Aiden asked distracted. He clearly looked lost in thoughts.

Kristoff came closer to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay, man?" He asked.

Aiden snapped out of his thoughts and blinked at him. "Yeah, yeah! I'm sorry… I –Uh… Did you even see her eyes?!" Aiden suddenly asked.

Kristoff did not understand. He wasn't there when Elsa's panic episode started. He looked at Flynn for explanation. Flynn shook his head and came closer to them.

"They were cyan, Kristoff…" Flynn explained. "Besides that, her hair was whiter than Tyler's! And you're concerned about her unnatural eyes!? She summons Ice just by the tip of her finger for god's sake! Nothing is normal about her!" Flynn said while he flailed his hands like a maniac.

"Really?!" Kristoff asked amazed.

"But who cares about that! She was really scared!... If you would have only seen how she froze the room."

"Flynn, I'm serious!" Aiden said, his voice showing determination. "She was clearly not seeing anything in front of her! She was horrified!... We only saw little of what her father did to her. We don't know what he did to her _before!... _Didn't you see how she was terrified of us?!... I bet she never saw humans beside her father and that… creepy old fella! How long had she been suffering and rotting in this dungeon?!

"Well… We'll know when she wakes up." Flynn answered.

The trio snapped to attention when the Elsa's bedroom door opened. Aphrodite walked out and turned to face the men with an expressionless face.

"Be sure to keep them safe." She intimidated.

The three quickly nodded nervously, not having the courage to say anything.

"If anything happens, send Brandon to tell. And for the princess, be sure to rest her on a bed in the corner, so she won't jump off and hurt herself again, do you hear me?" She dominated again with a warning tone.

The three nodded quickly again. "Y-Yes." Aiden managed to say.

Aphrodite clearly took her picture as a queen. Her posture was rigid and flawless. Her eyes bore into their soul. _She really is a queen._ Flynn thought before he gulped nervously.

Aphrodite gave them a small bow of her head, acknowledging her leave. Aiden and Flynn made sure no one was watching and bowed quickly in respect to the queen in front of them, and that made Aphrodite roll her eyes at them before she turned and walked away. Kristoff was confused, but he did bow anyway. _What the hell are they doing? _He thought jokingly.

When she disappeared out of view, the trio rushed inside the room.

* * *

"Hey, guys." Rapunzel greeted with a whisper while she searched inside the wardrobe for gloves. "Found them!" Rapunzel said cheerfully, her voice low. She walked towards Anna, who was sitting next to Elsa, watching her sister in concern.

Rapunzel sensed Anna's distress. "Anna, your eyes are gonna fall off if you won't blink at least. She's not going anywhere. Besides," Rapunzel sat next to Anna on Elsa's bedside and placed a hand on her shoulder, "She'll be alright, don't worry." She said before she handed her a pair of simple white cotton gloves.

Anna finally turned to look at Rapunzel, "I know…" She said with a defeated voice. "It's just… I'm just worried that's all." She said while she gripped Elsa's hand again, before she slid it inside one of the gloves.

"Worried?!... you already passed worried, Missy!" Flynn joked.

Anna laughed a bit. Then she turned to them and her eyes moved between her friends and she smiled. "You know, I never had the chance to thank you guys too."

"For what?" Rapunzel asked.

"For everything!... You put yourselves in danger just to help me save a woman you don't even know." She scoffed, then, "I don't even know too… But you did it anyway. A-And… I'm really grateful and happy that I have you guys beside me."

"Awh, Anna… You don't have to thank us!" Aiden said before he came closer to the bedside and knelt next Anna's knees. "We're in this together! We do everything together and keep each other's back! Always!... And now… We have a new musketeer!" Aiden said joyfully with a wink while he pointed at Elsa.

Anna smiled fondly at him and wrapped him quickly in a hug.

Aiden laughed a bit, "Anna, you don't have to do that." He said.

Anna broke from the hug and looked at her friends fondly, "No, I don't… But I want to."

Everyone smiled at Anna warmly, before they All turned to look at Elsa.

Anna felt anxious towards a question she'd been thinking about all night, but she had the courage to ask her friends, "How long do you think she'd been in there?"

Rapunzel shook her head, "We don't know… I hope she didn't suffer before like this."

_I hope._ Rapunzel thought.

"How do you think that happened?" Anna asked while she pointed at Elsa's left broken arm and bruised body.

All of them just shrugged their shoulders at her.

"We know just as much as you about her." Flynn lied.

Rapunzel, Flynn and Aiden already knew who the princess was, and who were her mother and sister. They felt pity for the royal family.

_What a broken family… They don't deserve all this. _Aiden thought.

_A girl who lost her memories, and she has a cruel father, a confused mother and a tortured sister._ Rapunzel thought heartbroken.

"What's her name?" Kristoff asked.

Anna's three friends knew his answer, yet she didn't. "We don't know." She said woefully.

"Uhm, w-well… we'll get our answers soon enough." Aiden said.

Rapunzel, Aiden and Flynn knew that Anna instinctively won't stop worrying about her sister. Yet _she_ did not know that, and that broke their hearts.

All of them were curious to know Elsa's back story. Some of them had more information than the others, and _one_ had her memories about this mysterious and poor woman buried way deep inside her mind. The world is full with surprises, and the universe is keeping them for both Anna and Elsa.

* * *

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	14. A Wronged Thief

**Hello! :D Okay now this chapter is going to have a dark scene so please...WARNING!**

**You asked for it! **

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XIII : A Wronged Thief

Anna and the others sat in Elsa's bedroom, waiting for the princess to wake up. They already changed her bloody dress into another one that looked practically the same, but the difference was that this new dress had brown off-the-shoulder sleeves instead of long ones, leaving Elsa's scars in plain view. The dress had brown skirt and light beige bodice.

"Do we seriously have no other dress than this one?" Anna asked, annoyed.

"Anna, she's too skinny. All the other dresses are way too big for her." Rapunzel explained.

Elsa slept on a bed placed at the corner just as Aphrodite suggested. She took her usual sleeping position just like the one she was used to, back in the cellar. And that made Anna and the others very uncomfortable and concerned.

"Did you see how she sleeps?" Anna noted worriedly while she brushed Elsa's forehead smoothly with her fingers.

The others understood what Anna meant, but they didn't feel it was pleasant to even say it.

"It's just…" Anna tried to say, but she surprised the others when she promptly started to cry.

"Anna, it's okay!" Rapunzel quickly ran towards her friend and wrapped her in a hug. "It's okay…" Rapunzel comforted again.

"I don't know what's h-happening to me, guys!... It's just not… I… I never f-felt so h-heartbroken!" Anna tried to say through her sobs.

Rapunzel rested her cheek on Anna's head and furrowed her blonde eyebrows before she exchanged concerned looks with Aiden and Flynn.

"Why am I c-crying?!... I don't understand! I barely know her!... but I feel like I've been living with her all my life!" Anna's mind was completely confused. It rolled into different emotions at the sight of her tormented sister, and Anna did not know why. "I don't even know her name!" Anna cried.

Her friends did not know what they could have done to her. Aiden, Flynn and Kristoff walked towards the girls. Kristoff stood right next to Anna, Aiden knelt to her knees again and Flynn stood next to Rapunzel. All of them tried to comfort the clueless girl.

"Anna, she's okay now, can't you see?" Flynn stated. "She's safe now!" He cheered.

"Yeah, Anna! The past is in the past. The important thing is that she is free from that hell." Aiden reasoned.

"I… I guess you're right." Anna said after she whipped off her tears, and pulled back from Rapunzel's hug. She looked back at Elsa and gave her a sad, sympathetic smile. "At least she's resting and not being tortured."

"Yeah!" Rapunzel said happily. "Now, let's just wait for her to wake up." She said with a radiant smile.

"How are we going to stop her from freaking out again?" Kristoff asked.

The others thought for a moment, not able to answer, as Kristoff was probably right. Then Anna spoke.

"She is totally terrified of people. So how about we don't surprise her with too many." Anna said with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" Flynn asked.

"I _mean_… That you three should get out!" Anna said while she pointed at the three men in front of her.

"What?!" The three men said in unison.

"I mean, look at you! All big, tall and scary-looking… no wonder why she got terrified." Rapunzel mocked before she laughed.

"When she wakes up, maybe Rapunzel and I can calm her down. We don't look _that_ intimidating." Anna said after she pointed at both herself and Rapunzel.

"Well, maybe you're right." Aiden confessed. "Come on, guys." He said before he motioned for the other men to follow him outside.

"Be sure to inform us when she wakes up. We'll be just outside." Flynn informed and he received a nod from both women.

The three men went outside and left two women waiting nervously for the awakening of the princess. Both Anna and Rapunzel felt unease at the situation they have in hands. They did not know what Elsa would do again when she wakes up. But they prayed for the best.

A moment of silence crept around the three women, until Rapunzel finally spoke, "Do you think these gloves will help?" She asked while she stared at Elsa's gloved hands.

"I have no idea… But mother sounded sure of it." Anna answered while she scratched her head.

Rapunzel puffed a breath and rested her chin on her hands.

"Where do you think her mother is?" Anna suddenly blurted.

Rapunzel's eyes widened, "W-what?!" Rapunzel asked nervously while she stiffened and stared at her friend. She did not know why Anna would ask such a question, yet here she was.

_Anna knows!_ Rapunzel thought. She was scared Anna would figure out the secret she was forced to keep.

"Don't you remember when we were eavesdropping on these men, back in Arendelle?" Anna said while she looked at her tensed friend in confusion. "They said the queen and princess disappeared… and they said one died. Which one of the princesses is she?"

Rapunzel felt a bit relieved that her friend didn't actually solve her life puzzle, but she also felt heartbroken about it. "I-I think… She's the s-suppose to be dead one… I-I mean, they said the king announced that the princess died. I'm pretty sure he wanted to hide her away from everyone so he can…" Rapunzel stopped her sentence and looked at Elsa's bandages wound.

Anna understood, yet she still had a question in mind. "Then where is the other princess?" She wondered.

Rapunzel inhaled slowly so she could calm herself down. She did not know what to answer. She didn't want to say anything that could have possibly raised Anna's suspicions. "I-I don't know." She quickly said.

"Do you think they died?... The Queen and Princess?... Do you think they're still alive?... If they are, Are they far from here? Are they even looking for her?" Anna asked again as she eyed her nervous friend then turned and gave Elsa a sorrowful, sympathetic look.

Rapunzel mentally facepalmed. She had no idea what to say. She knew Anna's answer was right under her nose. "Um, I have a feeling they are closer than you think." Rapunzel hinted.

Anna chuckled at her friend's enigmatic reply. "We found _her_…" Anna said while she pointed at Elsa. "Maybe we'll find them too." Anna said with a wink before she laughed at her unrealistic ambition.

Rapunzel laughed awkwardly with her friend. _I think we found them already. _Rapunzel thought. _Or they found us._

"Maybe we will?" Rapunzel said playfully, joining Anna's imagination.

The two laughed with each other for a moment before the room fell silent again.

Rapunzel thought for a second, then smirked at Anna evilly. She wanted to refresh the mood a bit, "Sooo… How's Kristoff?" She asked with a raised eyebrow playfully.

"W-what?... Y-yeah, he's fine." Anna muttered awkwardly. And that grew a bigger smirk on Rapunzel's face.

"Ohhhhh, he's fine alright!" Rapunzel teased while she leaned a bit closer to Anna and budged her elbow with Anna's.

"W-what do you mean?" Anna asked as if she did not know.

"Just stop playing innocent, and confess it!... You like him!" Rapunzel said cheerfully with a loud voice.

"SHHHH!… Are you crazy?! He could hear us!" Anna said while she motioned with her hands to lower Rapunzel's voice.

"AHA!... I knew it! You _do_ like him!" Rapunzel said while she pointed a guilty finger straight at Anna's face.

"Okay, fine!... But it's not like he likes me back or anything. I prefer we keep that between each other." Anna demanded.

Rapunzel frowned at her friend's ignorance. She knew Kristoff liked Anna back. It seemed obvious to her. But Anna was the one who was oblivious.

_Anna, you don't know a lot of things._ Rapunzel thought sadly.

"And besides," Anna started with her own smirk, "What's with you and smolder boy huh?!" She teased.

Rapunzel blushed and avoided eye contact. "W-what? You mean Flynn?" She managed to say.

"Uh-huh! Who else do you look at with dreamy eyes?" Anna teased again while her smirk reached her ears.

"I-I-I don't know what you're talking about." Rapunzel tried to play innocent, but Anna clearly never bought it.

"Yeahhhh, of course you don't." Anna played convinced before she turned and looked at Elsa.

Her eyes shot wide when she noticed the princess was opening her eyes again.

"Oh my god! Rapunzel, she's awake!" Anna said cheerfully.

"What should we do?!" Rapunzel asked utterly worried.

"Uhhhhh…" Anna looked around quickly and tried to think of what to do. "Uhmm just... Let's back away a bit! We don't need her to wake up seeing us too close like last time. Let her wake herself up slowly." She suggested and both she and Rapunzel nodded to themselves and backed away a bit, enough for Elsa to adjust to her new surroundings when she wakes up.

Elsa started opening her eyes unsteadily, and discovered that her last headache did not come to an end. "H-Hey?" She heard the same voice again, but this time it sounded hesitant. As the last memories came crashing in her mind, her eyes fluttered open and she quickly stirred and gasped loudly when she saw the two women she'd seen before. "No!" She quickly recoiled away, but she winced in pain when her injured back hit the wall. Elsa sat in the corner of her bed. She brought her legs up to her chest while she darted her eyes quickly in fright between the two women. Her gloved hands brought up to her chest, and she started breathing fast again while she tried as much as she could to squeeze herself away to the wall. "Please…" Elsa pleaded.

Anna quickly moved to comfort the princess before she could freak out again. "Hey, hey, hey, It's okay it's okay! We won't hurt you!" She said as she smiled a soothing smile and tried to reassure the terrified princess.

Anna saw how the princess kept darting her eyes in terror at them and around the room, and that she didn't relax, not even a bit. _But at least she didn't wreck and freeze the room. _Anna thought while she mentally high-fived herself that her plan of kicking the men out of the room and confronting the princess alone, worked. Then she praised her mother for the gloves.

"You're safe, don't worry." Rapunzel said with her most gentle voice. Yet Elsa still did not relax.

Rapunzel and Anna exchanged concerned looks. They decided to give the princess some time and space to let her mind adjust to her surroundings. After a few minutes of quick eyes darting, Elsa's cyan eyes finally focused on the women in front of her.

Anna and Rapunzel smiled at her sympathetically. So far Elsa did not look at them with ease. She just stared at the two with frightened eyes.

Anna sensed Elsa's anxiety, "We won't hurt you." She repeated a bit louder, but she received a shaking head from the princess.

"We got you out of the dungeons and brought you here a few days ago…" Rapunzel started.

Elsa's eyes shot wider. Rapunzel and Anna saw how she lost her focus on them again and her breath quickened. "No… No!… NO!..." Elsa started shaking her head vigorously.

"It's okay, calm dow-" Anna tried to calm her down but the princess shouted back.

"You have to bring me back!... B-Bring me back to Papa! He'll be a-angry that I left! He'll be angry! ANGRY! He'll find and h-hurt me! You shouldn't have freed me! What have you done!?" Elsa's tears began falling uncontrollably from her horrified eyes and she started trembling in fear. "Please, PLEASE! Bring me back to him before he gets angry! PLEASE!" Elsa hid her face with her hands again and cried. Something Anna noticed the princess does when she's hopeless and scared.

Anna and Rapunzel were shocked at the princess's desperation not to upset her father. They knew that she was terrified of him, and they concluded that her father hurt her when he got mad.

_Oh my god, she wants to get back?!_ Anna thought, utterly shocked how much the princess is terrified of her father to a point where she was more willing to go back to him than upset him.

"Please, just calm down! You've been through a lot… C'mon, with me. Slow breaths…" Anna said while she inhaled and exhaled slowly in front of the princess and tried to show her how. "You're safe here. No one will find you… not even your father. You're safe, you're safe! I promise." Anna tried to calm her down again while she took one hesitant step forward. When she saw that the princess did not acknowledge her and kept crying, she took another step forward and motioned for Rapunzel to follow.

"Listen to me. No one will ever hurt you again. We'll make sure of that! You are free." Anna assured with a soft, happy voice and a sad smile.

The woman's voice that caressed Elsa's ears was so gentle, warm and soothing. After a few seconds, Elsa brought her hands down from her face but kept them squeezed to her chest. She lifted her head and looked at the women in an unease and cautious face while her eyebrows still furrowed in concern.

Anna realized that the princess won't calm down this way, so she decided to take the chance to introduce herself. "Um, my name is Anna-" She started, but was startled by Rapunzel's hand on her mouth.

Rapunzel saw how Elsa's eyes shot wider and how her face turned haunted. She quickly moved to cover the suspicions just as she was told to do. "ANASTASIA!" She suddenly blurted. "H-Her name is A-Anastasia, but we c-call her Anna." She quickly said awkwardly while she covered Anna's mouth.

Anna shoved Rapunzel's hand off her mouth and gave her a questioned and confused look, before she mouthed 'What?!' but the green eyed girl did not respond. Rapunzel only mouthed 'Later', before she quickly turned to the bewildered Elsa, who seemed to be lost in her own thoughts.

_My name is Anna _Anna's words repeated over and over in Elsa's head, haunting and tormenting her. Elsa quickly hid her ears with her hands. _Why are you doing this to me?!_ Elsa thought. She felt as if God was punishing her for her sins. She concluded that he wanted her to hear the name of the person _she_ killed over and over so she could never forget about it. And the strawberry blond hair of the woman only made it worse and confirmed her theory. She will never get away from her sins. _I deserve this! _She thought again and realized that even if her body escaped her prison, her mind will never will.

"A-And my name is Rapunzel… Yeah! Rapunzel and Anastasia." Rapunzel said while she kept her gaze at Anna nervously.

Anna glared at Rapunzel and spoke again, "But you can still call me Anna." She said. Her intimidating eyes gazed back at Rapunzel's.

Anna finally left Rapunzel's eyes and looked back at Elsa with a soothing smile. "What's your name?" She asked the question she's been waiting for and saw the chance to take another step forward.

Elsa stared at them in anxiety for a second. She did not answer. She feared she might answer wrong and make them mad at her thus hurting her. _I have a lot of names. _She thought, ashamed.

_The monster, the unholy, the filth, the freak, the abomination, the murderer, the criminal… The thief._

Her mind recited the names her father had been calling her ever since she was six years old. She did not know which one she should have chosen to tell these women. But thanks to Kai, she never forgot her real name. Yet she was utterly ashamed that she had it. She knew she never deserved a human name.

Anna noticed how the princess hesitated to say her name, as if she was about to reveal her biggest secret just by pronouncing it.

"El… E-Elsa." Elsa finally whispered with a voice full with regret.

_Elsa?!_ Anna thought as her eyes widened, before she suddenly winced at the immense pain in her head. Rapunzel noticed her friend's reaction and quickly ran to her side and gave her a concerned look.

Elsa's eyes widened in fear for the redhead. She quickly glanced at her gloved hands. _Did I hurt her?! No… NO, PLEASE! _ She thought scared before she looked back at Anna. "Please, please I-I'm sorry! I didn't m-mean to hurt you!" She pleaded.

_It's happening again!_ Elsa thought utterly horrified. She remembered the day she hurt a 4 year old strawberry blonde little girl called Anna, and now she is doing it again, as if history was repeating itself. Albeit this time it was a strawberry blonde woman with the same name. God really was punishing her.

After recovering from her pain, Anna looked back at the panicked platinum blonde and readjusted what she just said. "What?... Oh!... No, no! I'm fine! You didn't hurt me!" She reassured quickly. "See?... I'm fine! It's just a headache." She knocked on her head playfully.

Elsa didn't stop staring in concern at the women in front of her. "You-… Y-You're fine?" Elsa asked, not even knowing why she did. But she wanted to make sure she did not do something wrong, or that her curse hurt someone else; which would make her father angry. And she didn't want that.

Anna giggled a bit, "Yeah, yeah. I'm great actually!" She said joyfully. Fortunately, both women noticed how Elsa relaxed the very bit.

"How're you feeling?" Rapunzel asked Elsa while she smiled, but she cursed herself for even doing it when she noticed Elsa tense again.

Elsa felt pain in her body. However, the pain was minor, thus it's a strange feeling for her. Back when she was in the dungeons, her body never rested. Agony was her only company.

"I-I'm okay." Elsa answered without thinking before she quickly bit her lip, hugged her middle and raised her shoulders in distress. She was scared that she answered too quickly, and she did not know what their reaction would be. She stared at them with fear and waited for them to beat her for being blunt. But her eyebrows rose as they surprised her with a smile.

Her answer encouraged Anna to finally take the last step and sit at the very end of the bedside. Elsa stiffened and squeezed her legs closer to her chest, away from Anna.

As Anna sat next to Elsa, though kept the distance so she can give some space for the princess, she couldn't help but stare at the woman's platinum hair and cyan eyes. Elsa on the other hand was still confused on where she was and what would happen to her. She stared right back at the redhead in confusion.

_She looks familiar._ Both of them thought in unison.

Anna felt her headache back again but shook it off when she saw how Elsa dropped her eyes from her.

Anna watched in concentration as the princess eyed the bandage around her left arm curiously and stroke the fabric slowly as if she was admiring it and never saw something like it before.

"Don't do that." Anna quickly said. She didn't want Elsa to hurt her broken arm accidentally while she analyzed it. She mentally slapped herself when she saw Elsa stiffened at the sudden command and her terrified face was back again.

_God!… Okay, mental note. Don't sound commanding. _Anna thought as she cursed herself for her quick and stern advice.

Anna's eyes fell on Elsa's left arm, and her curiosity couldn't help but ask. "How did that happen?" She asked while she pointed at Elsa's left arm.

Elsa quickly hid her left arm and lowered her head in utter shame. Anna already and obviously knew that it wasn't a good memory for Elsa. But she just had to know.

Elsa stared downwards at the bed sheets while she clutched and hid her left arm in protection. She bit her lip and closed her eyes tight when the memory of that day came rushing into her mind.

* * *

**Elsa's Flashback**

Elsa lay in her cellar, unable to move. She was shackled and chained. Her whole pale body ached. Her mouth was extremely dry and her stomach cried and pleaded for food. Her tongue did not taste a _thing_-beside the blood from her lip-in 3 days. Her breath was labored as she stared with exhausted eyes at her cellar door while she lay sideways on the harsh stony floor.

Mad had been having his slumber on a chair just outside Elsa's cellar. He snorted loudly as if a rock was stuck in his nose.

All the other prisoners knew that Elsa hadn't eaten in days. And they were worried sick. Fortunately, Kai decided and managed to save the piece of bread he had for Elsa, which was the only thing he would have for the next two days. Yet he was the most worried person for Elsa, and he was willing to give it away to her.

"Princess Elsa?... Princess Elsa, can you hear me?" Kai asked concerned.

Elsa heard the gentle, familiar voice. She lifted her head a bit and managed to whisper the words that will assure Kai, whom now she loves dearly like the father she always wanted, that she's at least alive.

"Kai?... Y-Yes… I'm okay." She lied as she clutched her aching empty stomach.

Kai took a glance around before he knelt behind his cellar bars. "Elsa, you need to eat… Take mine." He said while he readied himself to throw the piece of bread in his hands to Elsa.

"N-No… Kai… Please, no. It's yours… I can't… take it." Elsa managed to say.

Her voice was so weak it sent stabs through Kai's heart. He shook his head, yet he knew Elsa couldn't see him. "Princess, please! If you don't eat you won't survive!... Please, just take it." He didn't wait for her to answer. He threw the piece of bread that landed right in front of the bottom bars of Elsa's door.

Elsa sighed in defeat. She knew she was extremely hungry, and that if she didn't eat, she will keep passing out every now and then. She lifted her head again and looked at the bars from behind her dirty bangs. She winced in pain as she started to crawl slowly to the door. Chains rattled behind her as she moved. When she finally managed to reach the bars, she slid her shaky left hand between the bars and tried to reach the piece of bread. Her fingers were inches away from the bread, when a sudden pressure landed on her left arm… a foot.

Dread crawled in her body. She was caught. After she whimpered in pain, she looked up and saw Mad with a sanguine smirk on his face. "Well, well, well…" He started. "Looks like we have a thief!... Ohhh, your father won't like that."

Elsa tried to pull her left arm away, but Mad let his whole weight press on it. "Please…" Elsa pleaded for Mad but his smirk only grew.

Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse. The main dungeon door opened, and revealed her father and the two special guards. Elsa began trembling at the sight of her father. She knew she was in big trouble.

Kai slammed the bars with his fist in rage, "Just leave her alone!" He yelled at Mad.

The king walked in regally, "What is happening here?" He asked rigidly.

Mad smirked again, and looked at the king. "Well, your majesty. I have caught us a thief! Our monster here, tried to steal food." He said his foot not moving off of Elsa's arm.

"Is that so?" He asked while he looked at Elsa, who quickly shook her head vigorously in denial.

"N-N-No, no! I-I was just…" Elsa started, but was cut off by her father's mocking voice.

"Hungry?" He asked, amused. The king walked towards the door, knelt right in front of the bottom bars, and stared at Elsa's arm that was halfway out between the bars and Mad's foot on it.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk…" The king shook his head slowly from side to side in disappointment. "Do you know what happens to thieves, Elsa?" He asked grimly.

"Leave her alone! I gave her that! She did not steal anything!" Kai yelled. But the king didn't even acknowledge his presence.

Elsa's tears rushed down her cheeks as she stared at her father's mischievous eyes. She was terrified of what her father will do to her. "P-P-Papa… Please! I-I was just hungry!" She tried to reason.

"So you decided to steal Kai's share?... Oh no, Elsa. I thought I raised you better than this. You should have waited for your turn. But you decided to steal." The king stood straight again and smirked. "And now it's time for a thief to be punished." He said before he nodded to Mad.

"NO! PAPA, PLEASE! I'M SORRY, I-I'M SORRY! I-I-I WON'T DO IT AGAIN! PLEAAAASEE!" Elsa tried to beg when Mad let go of her arm, and started opening her cellar door. Elsa quickly crawled away backwards when her arm was freed as much as she can from the door while she whimpered, but the chains restrained her.

The door flew open. Her father and the other three men entered before they closed it again behind them. "Grab her." The king commanded Mad.

"NO!" Elsa screamed as she tried to pull with all her strength on her cuffs.

Mad laughed wickedly and motioned for one of the guards to follow him. They both grabbed Elsa. The guard pinned her legs to the ground with his harsh hands while Mad held Elsa's arms and stretched them above her, before he pushed his knee on her hands and pinned her to the ground.

"PAPA, PLEAAAASE!" Elsa started to struggle.

"Hold still!" Mad yelled before he managed both he and his companion to restrain her.

Elsa now lay on her back stretched, and waited for her punishment.

Elsa didn't have a choice. She cried her eyes out and trembled in terror. _No, no, no, no! _She thought before she let out a loud, fearful sob.

The king walked towards the table with his back turned to his daughter. When he turned again to face her, Elsa cried in horror as she saw him holding a huge hammer. The king lent the weapon to the other guard that stood silent. "P-Papa! I-I won't d-do it again! P-Please, please! I s-swear, I-I swear!" Elsa tried to reason with a trembling voice while more tears dripped on the floor.

The king walked towards her and she whimpered loudly at every footstep of her father that also sent shivers down her spines. "Please… please… please…" Elsa prayed with a low voice. Her eyes were closed and her head drummed the ground underneath her.

The king knelt next to Elsa's laid form. "A thief is a thief, Monster. They never change. If you don't show them the consequences, they'll do it again." The king leaned and grabbed Elsa's jaw roughly with his hand and she sobbed loudly again at his touch. "I wouldn't be surprised for a monster to sin again." He let go of her face and started stroking her cheek gently as her tears ran down and wetted his hand. "Why are you crying, Monster?... Monsters don't feel, remember?" He said with a gentle voice and that forced tears to rush down even harder. The more gentle his voice was, the more it forced Elsa to shiver in terror.

The king shook his head in disappointment when she only replied with a sob. He stood up again with a sigh and motioned with his fingers for the young guard who held the hammer, to come forth.

The guard stood next to the king, unsure of what to do. The king glared at him with determined eyes and spoke. "Hit it… Hard." The king said while he pointed at Elsa's left arm.

"NO! PLEASEE!" Elsa shrieked and struggled again to free herself from the men's grip. Mad groaned in anger. He stretched then pinned her hands harder above her head and allowed his weight to press more with his knee on them. All Elsa could do was to sob and tremble. She knew it was inevitable.

The King stood next to the guard whom hands sweated as he held the huge hammer. The guard took a deep breath before he lifted the hammer and brought it down with force on Elsa's left arm.

"AAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGH!" Elsa shrieked with all her might in agony as the pain rushed around her arm. She drummed her head roughly to the ground so she could forget the pain, but she failed miserably. Her chest rose and descended rapidly as she gasped for air.

"CURSE YOUUUU!" They all heard Kai yelled.

The king wasn't satisfied. He grabbed the young man from the back of his neck roughly and whispered with the most intimidating voice he could muster. "I said… Hit… Harder!" He warned before he shoved the boy back next to Elsa who was squirming and crying in agony.

The boy held the hammer nervously and utterly hesitant. He knew the king wants to break the princess's arm, and that he had no choice but to oblige before the king decides to take his head off. He lifted the hammer again shakily, quickly glanced for help at his friend who pinned Elsa's legs, but he knew he can't go anywhere before the king is satisfied. He brought the hammer down on Elsa's left arm, this time with full force. A loud crack erupted around the room and sent shivers down the guards' spines. And now they all know that Elsa's left arm broke.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!" All Elsa was able to reply. Her body literally vibrated from agony as she screamed, flailed and thrashed on the ground uncontrollably, trying desperately to escape the pain. Yet she knew deep inside that she couldn't.

Suddenly, ice shot out of her right hand and sent Mad flying to the wall. The ice crawled on the ground, up the walls and out of the small window way above, accompanied by spikes along the track.

The king didn't care about Mad. He was satisfied that his desires were completed. "That's what you deserve, Monster." He said coldly before he turned to Mad and laughed at him. "Get up already." He said before he started walking towards the cellar door, his hands clasped behind his back and motioned for the other men to follow with his head.

Suddenly, they all heard the cries and yells of fear from the outside of the small window. Citizens of Arendelle were screaming and shouting in fear. The king's eyes widened. He did not know what was happening, "Come on, move it! Get out. I need to go check what's happening." He commanded, before he shoved Mad whom was limping, roughly to move forward faster.

When they all went out the king looked back at Elsa, who was still squirming and sobbing loudly on the floor while she clutched her left arm to her chest tightly. Ice spread behind her, all the way up the window.

"Never forget what you are." He said then slammed the door shut, hard enough that it echoed in the whole dungeon.

Elsa laid on the ground as she tried to fight her pain away, but to no avail. The Princess of Arendelle laid locked in her own castle. Wary of pain, but oblivious to the winter she just cast upon her kingdom.

* * *

"Elsa... Elsa?… Elsa, can you hear me?" Anna called the princess who was totally lost in thoughts, but the thing that concerned her is that Elsa looked more terrified of something _she_ only saw beyond them. Elsa bit her lip, her left arm squeezed even tighter to her chest as if protecting it. Her eyes stared at the bed sheets, yet Anna knew that the princess was looking at something inside her mind. Anna exchanged concerned looks with Rapunzel before she gulped and tried to reach Elsa's arm with her hand, so she could wake her out of her thoughts.

The moment her hand contacted Elsa's arm, the princess's eyes shot wide as if she just woke up from something and she quickly jumped in horror away from Anna, "DON'T TOUCH ME!" She shrieked hiding her left arm away.

Anna quickly recoiled away, shocked. "I-I was just checking if you're okay… I-I've been calling you for like ten minutes. I'm sorry!"

Elsa realized that she wasn't in her dark cellar anymore and screaming in pain. No, she was with two women who looked at her in concern and pity in a warmly lit room. Elsa looked away from them. Unable to meet their gaze from the shame and guilt she just felt and remembered. She closed her eyes in sorrow, tears streamed down her cheeks and she took a deep breath and mumbled something both Anna and Rapunzel couldn't hear quite right.

"What…?" Anna asked while she leaned ever so slightly towards Elsa, so she could hear better.

"Papa…" Elsa breathed.

Rapunzel hid her mouth behind her hand in surprise slowly. Anna kept staring at Elsa's left arm while heat started to consume her from anger. Both women saw how Elsa hugged herself at the mention of her father. They were shocked that her father would do this to her, but they already knew he was nothing but a monster. They both didn't speak. They waited for the princess to continue, if she ever wanted to.

"I… I am a thief. I stole my friend's share of bread." Elsa managed to say in a low, ashamed voice. "I-I was just hungry! I hadn't eaten in three days!" Elsa suddenly pleaded the women as if she was scared they would have punished her too.

Anna and Rapunzel felt their hearts shattered in pieces before they looked at each other in unease and gulped nervously. They suddenly felt guilty and stupid. They were both thieves after all, and they stole much more than a piece bread. Yet Elsa had been the one who ended up with a broken arm. They did not understand how Elsa was able to even steal something out of her cellar, until Elsa spoke again.

"Kai… H-He told me to take his share. But… P-Papa didn't believe me. So he punished me for stealing." She managed to say before she quickly hid her face in her hands again in shame.

Anna and Rapunzel felt completely anguished at how Elsa really lived in hell. They felt heavy-hearted every time Elsa couldn't pronounce her father's name without trembling. They just couldn't believe how her father was so cruel, unfair, coldhearted and merciless to her.

_That's not even stealing!_ Anna thought angrily at the king's sly mind.

Suddenly, they all heard Elsa's stomach growl at the mention of food. Elsa's face turned red and she quickly clutched her stomach and tried desperately to stop it from screaming for food.

Anna gasped and slapped herself when she saw Elsa jumped in surprise at her sudden reaction.

_How did I forget that!? _ Anna thought while she stared at Elsa with wide eyes, and that made Elsa very uncomfortable and scared.

"Elsa… You're surely hungry! Oh my god, how did I forget that?!" Anna said while she slapped her forehead too. "Rapunzel! Go tell Louis to prepare the best meal he could ever cook!" Anna commanded while she puffed her chest at Rapunzel and smiled radiantly at Elsa.

Rapunzel nodded happily and turned to smile at Elsa so she could cheer her up. "Well, Elsa… It's time for you to meet the others then."

* * *

**Phew! Please REVIEWWWWW DON'T BE LAZY!**

**I wanted to show how much Elsa is terrified of her father. I also wanted to show how abused children react with every question asked. I have been to multiple centers where they keep and help against child abuse and i have interacted with the children and saw how much they are unsure of their answers and terrified of saying something wrong or unsatisfying to you. They are also very jumpy just like our Elsa here. So As you can see Elsa was abused since she was 6, so tensing on every question or reaction from Anna and rapunzel is obvious.**

**Just wanted to clear this up if somehow you felt Elsa as a bit jumpy. Cause that's what she should be.**

**I repeat REVIEWWW.**


	15. Carnivore

**Hello :) Finally Elsa gets to eat after all these years of rotten meat! Phew!**

**Enjoy!**

**And review! Even though if it's a bad review. It's never bad to learn. ;)**

**NOT ELSANNA**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XIV : Carnivore

Rapunzel went out of the room and left Anna and Elsa alone. An awkward silence descended upon them. Elsa kept her eyes fixed to the bed sheets. Her legs brought up to her chest and she hid her hands behind them.

Anna, so far, was actually happy. She was relieved to see the woman whom she had no idea she cared about, safe and well. Albeit deep inside her heart, she knew Elsa still had _a lot_ to recover from. Anna sat at the bedside. She stared at her feet that she dangled from the bed and tapped them together in a steady rhythm. She had a lot of questions she'd been dying to ask. However, she was scared to do it, for she feared that Elsa would have felt interrogated. She did not want to ask something that would have hurt Elsa's feelings.

_Why did he lock her in there? How long has she been in there? Should I ask her? What if she gets scared or something? No… No, it's not the time to ask._ Anna thought. She desperately wanted to know more about Elsa. Yet she was anxious to do so. Anna turned her head to look at Elsa. When she did, she bit her lip and furrowed her eyebrows in concern.

Now that her nerves settled, Elsa's pain was back. She winced when her stomach's burnt wound stung like hell, not to mention her scorching-yet bandaged-back. Her left arm ached from pressing it to her chest too much. She suddenly felt exhausted again. Elsa darted her eyes around the room quickly, trying to find what was causing her the pain. Was it her father? Was it Mad? Were they torturing her? Where did the pain come from if they weren't here?

"Don't worry, it's just temporary. It will heal in time." Anna assured. "You were in a terrible condition when we brought you here. So, my mother… She was the one who healed you." She smiled warmly at the thought of her mother, "She had to… you know, close the wounds. And the only way was to bur-… Ah, nevermind. You don't n-need to know how we healed you." Anna said while she rubbed the back of her neck. "You still have some small bumps on your forehead, but don't worry. They'll go in time… As a matter of fact, they already look better." She giggled a bit, "Bruises need ice, so… Your skin is already _icy_." Anna said jokingly while she rubbed herself as if she gestured about getting warm, before she laughed a bit. When she saw how Elsa's expressions did not change, she stopped herself from laughing, groaned in annoyance and let her head fall to her hands in regret.

'_Your skin is icy'?!... Is that all what I got to say?! How stupid am I?! She doesn't want or need to be reminded of her wounds!... Aggghhh, stupid, stupid, stupid._ Anna thought and mentally scolded herself.

Elsa eyed Anna for a moment and didn't say a word. She lowered her head again and stared at her gloved hands. _What do they want from me? _Elsa thought, concerned.

After a moment, Elsa began examining the room around her. She started with the bed sheets that spread next to her. She brushed her gloved fingers on them and tried to think what they felt like. A fabric Elsa hadn't touched for fifteen years. Back in the cellar, Elsa used to sleep on the cobblestone floor like a stray caged up animal. No sheets, no pillows, no mattress, but only the cold harsh floor.

Elsa's mind finally noticed she was wearing a dress, or anything to say the least. She felt it covered and hugged her skin, yet she also felt itchy. For fifteen years, Elsa only wore a shredded, loose tunic that barely did cover her frame. And after all these years of almost nudity, clothes would probably be annoying. She snapped out of her thoughts when her eyes fell on something from the dress that grabbed her attention.

Anna turned her head slowly off her hands to Elsa, whom was curiously twirling a loose thread that was off-placed from the dress stitches with her index.

Anna giggled at Elsa's childlike behavior. Elsa quickly looked up at the laughing woman and coked her head, one of her eyebrows lifted and her lips puckered a bit in confusion and wonder. Anna couldn't stop from laughing anymore at how Elsa's face showed pure innocent curiosity. If Elsa would have allowed her, she would have wrapped her in a hug. She just looked adorable.

Anna noticed how Elsa looked at her as if she was looking at a maniac. Though she was relieved to see that Fear wasn't there in Elsa's eyes… But Curiosity.

"Oh, it's nothing…" She giggled for the last time then, "I just remembered something funny." Anna lied while she smiled at Elsa warmly.

Elsa started looking around the room again. It was a small room. She saw a mirror in the corner, but her reflection wasn't in her line of view. She saw a wardrobe next to a table where three chairs lay beside it. She felt the breeze that came in from the broken window and brushed her cheeks. Why was it broken? She did not know nor remember.

"Sooo… Do you like the dress?" Anna promptly asked with a warm smile.

Elsa's eyes looked back at Anna in concern again. She did not know what to answer. Last time she wore a dress, she was six years old, and she barely remembered how it felt or looked like. "Y-yes yes, it's beautiful." Elsa quickly said.

Anna mentally frowned at that. The dress wasn't perfect, but it was modest. But what really concerned her was that she knew Elsa did not even think of her own opinion. Elsa just blurted whatever might not upset Anna. Anna opened her mouth to reassure her but Elsa spoke first.

"Th-Thank you." Elsa said with a low, unsure voice.

Anna's face softened. She was surprised how Elsa kept her manners even though she was still terribly terrified. _She_ _is a princess after all. _Anna thought.

"Your welcome!" Anna said with a radiant smile. "I tried to find you another dress but they all looked huge on you! Haha, it's just that you're too skinny and… I'm rambling again." Anna said before she facepalmed hard making Elsa jump.

_I'm really not helping out here… What the hell did I just say to her! I should throw myself off a cliff. This is so HARD! Everything I say is bad to her! God, I'm really stupid. Can't I say something nice at least?... Hmm… Crap! I'm even rambling when I'm thinking! _Anna thought. She was about to hit her head on the wall in frustration when a knock startled the two.

"Anna?... It's me, Rapunzel. I have the boys out here okay? We're coming in." Rapunzel's voice muffled from behind the door.

Anna turned to Elsa with a soothing smile. "Don't worry, now. They are really harmless. They won't hurt you at all." Anna reassured the anxious princess.

The door opened and revealed Rapunzel whom held a tray of Elsa's meal, followed by three huge men.

Elsa's eyes kept widening slowly the more the men approached. She began squeezing her injured back to the wall again, ignoring the pain. She just wanted to stay away from them as much as she can, instinctively. Almost her whole life, she'd been abused and hurt by two men. And now, _three_ won't make it any better.

"Elsa, Elsa, calm down! They won't hurt you." Anna reassured again while she motioned for the men not to come too close.

Elsa's frightened eyes never left the three men. Aiden, Flynn and Kristoff smiled at her awkwardly. One of them waved at her and spoke, "Hey, I'm Aiden." He said with a cheerful voice. "And I'm Flynn!" The other one said with a bow. "Kristoff." The last one said with a warm smile.

"Guys, this is Elsa… Princess Elsa of Arendelle." Anna said while she pointed at Elsa with her palm.

The three men bowed, "Pleasure to meet you, your Highness." They all said in unison.

Anna and Rapunzel rolled their eyes and laughed at their friends' inner gentleman. Elsa on the other hand felt mocked.

_I'm a monster. Not a princess. _Elsa thought, humiliated.

"I'm not a princess." Elsa said with a voice barely heard. Yet all of them heard her. "I'm a monster." She whispered to herself.

Anna remembered when they saw Elsa for the first time and how her father forced her to say that she was a monster and criminal. She saw how Elsa kept her feared face, so she turned to the men and motioned for them to just go and sit by the table. All of them gave Elsa a pitiful look. They still don't know why Elsa calls herself _that_.

The three men gave Anna a questioned look, but they walked towards the table and sat around it anyway.

"I don't belong here. I-I could hurt you! Please… You should stay away from me!" Elsa said with the most ashamed voice the thieves ever heard before. "Lock me back in my cage before I…" She trailed off while tears ran down her cheeks.

"Elsa, you won't hurt us. We _know _that you won't… And you're not a monster." Anna said yet still unsure about why Elsa is insisting that she was.

"Please…" Elsa whispered while she hugged herself. _You_ _have no idea what I did! Who I killed! _She thought. "I… I can't control my curse. I could kill you… B-But I don't want that!" Elsa quickly said. "I… I don't want to hurt anyone else again, please!" Elsa pleaded.

_Again?... What did she mean by 'Again'!?_ Kristoff thought, his fear from her grew a bit.

Anna ignored Elsa's explanation. "No, Elsa. You won't hurt us. Even if you do, you would never do it intentionally." Anna said. She herself was surprised on why she sounded very sure that Elsa is not dangerous.

Rapunzel, Aiden and Flynn already knew Elsa's accident with Anna when they were little. But Elsa sounded as if she really killed someone.

Rapunzel decided to try and change the subject and clear the mood, "Okay, Elsa! It's time for you to fill that empty belly!" Rapunzel said cheerfully before she walked towards Elsa and placed the meal tray on the bed right in front of Elsa's feet.

They all watched as Elsa's eyes widened and looked very hesitant.

The scent crawled up Elsa's nose, and she couldn't help the drool from forming in her mouth. She saw different things. A plate held some green and red stuff that Elsa did not even know what it was… Salad. And another had a fried fish on it. Actually, all the dishes on the tray looked foreign to her. Yet she was only able to recognize two things, Meat and Water. She let her knees fall to the side so she can get a closer look. She saw a fork and a knife, and she knew that she totally forgot how to use them. Her stomach growled again for food. She quickly squeezed her left arm a bit on it to calm it down and the pain in her arm increased, but she ignored it.

The thieves watched her with concentration. She looked even afraid of the tray itself. Anna noticed how Elsa was very hesitant to start eating. And she supposed maybe it's because she didn't trust what the food would do to her if she_ did_ eat it. She smiled at her reassuringly, before she leaned and held the cup of water up for Elsa, and motioned for her to take it.

"Here," Anna held the cup of water up and waited for Elsa to have the courage to grab it.

_If she's afraid of food, water won't do any harm. _Anna thought.

Elsa stared at the cup in Anna's grip for what felt like forever, before she brought her shaky right hand up and snatched the cup quickly before Anna could touch her. She looked down at the clean water inside the cup in interest for a minute, and made sure it wasn't harmful before she chugged it down her throat. She felt the water cleared her dry throat, mixed with the ice inside of her and gave her comfort and relief.

"Better?" Anna asked, her smile never left her face.

Elsa gave her one, slow nod.

Anna then decided to help Elsa. She pushed the tray closer to the princess so she could try to encourage her.

Elsa placed the cup slowly back on the tray, stared at the venison in front of her, and completely ignored everything else.

"I didn't know what you like, so I told Louis to prepare everything… Though you need to eat the salad and become strong!" Rapunzel explained happily while she flexed her biceps playfully.

When Rapunzel noticed how Elsa did not acknowledge her, she raised one eyebrow at her, "Don't you like salad?" She asked. "Or Fish even?"

Elsa looked up at Rapunzel and shook her head slowly. "I… N-No… Papa only used to give me meat."

They all suddenly felt heartbroken and also angry at how the King treats his daughter like some sort of a dog or a dangerous creature.

When Elsa was locked away, she used to eat the meat thrown at her with her hands. But now, there were utensils to use. And she was afraid she would have embarrassed herself more that she was already ashamed.

Anna noticed how Elsa stared at the utensils in concern, and the thought quickly snapped in her mind. "Um, how about you eat a sandwich." She suggested. Anna did not wait for Elsa to reply. She leaned closer to the tray, grabbed a baguette and split it in two. She then moved to cut the meat and placed it inside the piece of bread. Satisfied with her newly created sandwich, she smiled at Elsa and held the sandwich up for her to take it.

Elsa took the sandwich gently this time. Anna would have sworn she saw a tiny grin on Elsa's face.

_I promise you, Elsa. You'll never live that misery again. _Anna thought.

Elsa took one bite and her whole body shuddered at the amazing taste she never felt before. She quickly took another bite, then another as she enjoyed every gulp. They all stared at the princess whom ate the sandwich as if she hadn't eaten in years.

_Poor girl…_ Rapunzel thought while she gave Elsa a pitiful look.

After a few minutes, Elsa finally finished her sandwich. She felt full for the first time in more than a decade. It was alien feeling for her to have a full belly. She felt she would have literally exploded.

All the others were surprised to see that she was already full from only one minor sandwich, but they didn't ponder about it since it's obvious that Elsa's stomach was tiny. In fact, Anna noticed as if Elsa pushed herself to eat the whole sandwich fearing it would have been her last _good_ meal. Anna couldn't help herself but to curse the king and to wince in disgust at the thought of him, every time she discovered more horrible things he did to Elsa.

Anna removed the tray off of Elsa's bed and gave it back to Rapunzel, who took it and headed back to the kitchens.

Elsa locked back her eyes to her gloved hands and avoided the eyes that stared at her. "Thank you." She muttered.

They all smiled warmly at her. "You don't need to thank us, Elsa. We would do our best to keep you safe and well." Aiden said before he stood from the chair and walked a bit closer, then stopped at the wardrobe and leaned on it.

"Yeah, Elsa! We're all here for you… I promise we'll do our best to protect you. No one will ever hurt you again." Anna guaranteed with a gentle, yet determined voice and scooched a bit towards Elsa.

Elsa looked at Anna with teary eyes. "Why are you doing this?... Why are you helping me? You shouldn't help a mon-"

"No, Elsa!" Anna said with a loud voice. Elsa quickly leaned away and brought her legs to her chest again. Anna sighed. She knew she just snapped at her. "Sorry…" She said with a soft, apologetic voice. "Elsa, you're not a monster. The only real monster was your father."

Elsa's eyes widened, her face turned terrified and she shot her head up. "No! P-Papa is a great and fair king! H-He was just h-helping me control my c-curse and not… h-hurt anyone again! I-I was just receiving what I deserve. And I sh-should pay for my sins." Elsa argued.

Anna realized that Elsa just recited her father's words and not her own. She knew Elsa was horrified of her father and would never dare to confess that he was a malicious man.

"Elsa, you don't need to be afraid anymore." Anna persuaded.

Elsa locked her eyes to her hands and avoided Anna's again. "No," She shook her head, "Papa is a g-great man." Elsa insisted.

They all gave her a sad and pitiful look. _What have you done to her?_ Anna thought. She knew Elsa wouldn't have the courage to say anything else.

* * *

Rapunzel pushed the kitchen door open with her back and turned with the tray.

"Bonjour, Rapunzelle! Comment est-elle notre princesse?" Louis asked with a cheerful voice.

"She's okay, Louis." Rapunzel replied with a radiant smile, before she placed the tray on the table.

"Mais qu'est-ce que c'est que ça?! Elle n'a rien mangé!" Louis exclaimed while he pointed at the tray that only missed the meat and water. Other than that, every other dish was full.

Rapunzel sighed, "I know Louis, but she just doesn't eat anything other than meat." She said with a pensive face. "Looks like she's been eating meat for a long time… Louis, she didn't know what salad is!"

"Oh mon Dieu, vraiment?" Louis asked surprised.

"Yeah! It's like… It's like everything is new to her." Rapunzel said with a concerned face.

"Malheureusement, Elle a été maltraitée, Rapunzelle. Tout ce qu'elle a besoin maintenant, c'est du repos." Louis said while he patted Rapunzel's shoulder and held a dead chicken in the other hand.

"Well, I think you're right." Rapunzel said with a smile. "And get that away from me." Rapunzel said with a laugh while she pointed at the chicken in his grip.

Suddenly, the kitchen door opened. "Louis, do you have ginger? I need to use them for Bolton's medicine-Rapunzel!?" Aphrodite said, surprised. "What're you doing here?!… H-How… How's Elsa?" She asked concerned while she walked towards the blonde girl.

"She's fine. She's awake, actually." Rapunzel said while she crossed her arms over her chest.

"What?!... Why didn't you tell me?!" Aphrodite asked with a glare.

"Well, she just did and she was really hungry and I asked Louis here to prepare some meals for her." Rapunzel answered while she pointed at Louis with her head who was chopping the chicken's head off.

"Oh! Bonjour, Leanna. Du gingembre? Ah, oui bien sûr!... Une minute, s'il vous plait." He said before he moved to the barrel where he keeps the gingers.

Aphrodite turned to Rapunzel with a concerned face. "And how…?" Aphrodite trailed off, and didn't have the courage to ask. She was utterly worried for her daughter.

"She's… Confused. Still a bit tired, but I don't blame her. She's been through a lot, and she's trying her best to adjust to things." Rapunzel clarified.

"Il parait que notre princesse est carnivore." Louis called out with a chuckle.

"Yeah, uh… I need to speak to you alone if you don't mind." Rapunzel asked Queen Aphrodite politely while she pointed to the door with her eyes.

"Alright." Aphrodite nodded before she looked at Louis over Rapunzel's shoulder, "Louis, envoyez Sam à l'infirmerie avec les gingembres. Je serai là-bas comme d'habitude."

"D'accord!" Louis said with a quick nod.

"You know French?" Rapunzel asked amazed. When she received a smirk and eye roll from Aphrodite, she quickly remembered that she was talking to a Queen. "Oh, right! Haha… so, shall we go now?"

"Of course." Aphrodite nodded before she started walking towards the door, followed by Rapunzel.

"Bye, Louis!" Rapunzel waved happily and received a wave back from Louis.

When they were out from the kitchen, they quickly checked if someone else was around before they could talk.

Aphrodite turned to Rapunzel with her back straight and looked at her right in the eyes. "Okay, now. Tell me, how's my daughters? Did they…?"

"No, none of them noticed… But I'm quite concerned about Anna. Every time she tries to remember, she gets some sort of bad headaches." Rapunzel explained, concerned.

"I wouldn't be surprised about that. It's probably because of the… stolen memories." Aphrodite said before her queen posture fell, and she lowered her head in shame.

"That's not just it." Rapunzel said and snapped Aphrodite back to attention. "Elsa was really terrified. She flinched away every time we tried to approach her. And she told us that her father only gave her meat and water to eat as if she's like a pet to him!... She's still in pain, but at least she's not screaming from it. Her voice is a bit hoarse and we both know why it's so. The worst part was that her father was the one who broke her arm and accused her of being a thief." Rapunzel explained.

Aphrodite gasped loudly, "That… That BASTARD! How did he dare do this to my daughter!?" Aphrodite yelled and forgot that she could be heard by the others.

"Sh, sh, sh! Keep your voice down, we don't want anyone to know that remember!?... I know you're angry at him, but we can't do anything now, the damage is already done. Elsa was very wronged and tyrannized, Aphrodite." Rapunzel said before she took a deep breath, then, "Are you sure we shouldn't tell them?"

Aphrodite glared at her, "Don't you see?! We can't! Anna gets those headaches because she only tries to remember! Then what if she remembers? She might… I don't know! Something worse would happen. I don't want to risk that. And Elsa… Elsa has already enough to recover from. T-That… If she does even." Aphrodite said and surprised Rapunzel with silent tears.

"Hey…" Rapunzel tried to soothe while she placed a hand on the queen's shoulder and leaned down to look up at Aphrodite's face. "She'll be fine, here. You know that…" She trailed off before her eyes widened. "Oh my… Aphrodite, can you remove the hood for a sec?" Rapunzel asked while she squinted her eyes to take a better look.

Aphrodite looked at her in confusion, "Uhm, alright…" She said before she slid the hood off her head.

Rapunzel gasped. "Oh my god! Now I know why Elsa looked so familiar to me! Aphrodite, she looks just like you!" Rapunzel started laughing joyfully. "If it weren't for her platinum hair and weird eyes, I'm sure Anna would have definitely recognized her as you."

Aphrodite felt her heart flutter in joy and pride, and smiled warmly to herself to know that her daughter took her appearance. "She is, isn't she?... That's my Elsa. Though, do you think Anna would get suspicious?"

"No, I don't think so. I'm telling you, whenever we talk to her we can't stop staring either at her bright, beautiful hair or brilliant eyes." Rapunzel said while she pointed at her own hair and eyes.

Aphrodite smiled at Rapunzel's compliment of her daughter. "I blame the snow." She deadpanned with a humored scoff, while she shook her head in amusement. "I always loved her hair and eyes. I loved every moment when I used to brush it or braid it. When she was born, she always made me happy when I took her in my arms while she stared at me with those big adventurous, curious and joyful eyes." Aphrodite said happily with laughs while she used her hands to gesture huge eyes. "She was a smart child. Always running around and playing. When Anna was born, she was so excited and happy to meet her little sister. But…" Aphrodite's face fell in sorrows while new tears streamed down her cheeks fast. "On that day… it was the first time her father hit her." She muffled a sob with her hands placed at her mouth, then, "Because he b-blames her for being a curse a-and for depriving him from having an heir."

Rapunzel just couldn't believe that Elsa was despised by her father, even when she was nothing but a little girl. _How can someone be so cruel?!_ She thought utterly shocked at the king's monstrosity. She eyed the lonely mother for a minute before she smiled sympathetically at her. She knew Aphrodite wanted to see her daughter desperately. "Why… Why don't you go see her yourself."

"W-What?! Didn't you understand that I don't want her to recognize me?!" Aphrodite said with a confused yet glaring look.

"She's not going to see you." Rapunzel assured.

Aphrodite looked at her in confusion. She was about to deny, but her motherly instincts couldn't allow her to refuse to see her daughter after all these years. "A-Alright."

* * *

Aphrodite and Rapunzel stared at Elsa's bedroom door. Aphrodite was just one door away from embracing and hugging her daughter, but fear kept pushing her back.

"Okay, I'll go in and leave the door a bit opened." Rapunzel informed and received a slow nod from the queen.

Rapunzel entered the room and closed the door-not completely-behind her. She kept a line of view, enough for Aphrodite to peek through.

"Hey, guys. I'm back!" Rapunzel announced cheerfully. She turned to look at Elsa and grinned sympathetically. "Hey, Elsa. Did ya like the meal?" She asked.

Elsa looked at her and nodded slowly.

Rapunzel's grin turned to a smile, "Well, I'm glad you did, cause you'll be eating plenty of those from now on." She notified happily.

Aphrodite's heart lit up when she saw her daughter awake. Her radiant smile reached her ears while tears of joy fell down her cheeks. _My baby!_ She thought, but her smile suddenly disappeared and her heart broke when she noticed her daughter's bruised face and the scars that maimed her daughter's body. _No…_ She thought sadly. The once joyful eyes she saw in the platinum haired infant were gone and replaced with regretful, sorrowful, tormented and shameful ones of a platinum haired broken woman.

"Elsa, I think you deserve to know where you are and what this place is." Anna said while she looked at her friends and waved her hands around the room.

Anna began explaining how they brought her here, and how she is now living in a fort full with thieves, though none harmful. She explained their vows and their intentions of helping the needy and nothing more. She told her about her mother, Tyler and Brandon.

"Thieves?" Elsa asked, concerned and surprised while she glanced at the people around her.

"Y-yes." Anna answered, hesitantly.

"You… You never been caught and…" Elsa trailed off and lowered her head to look at her left broken arm, "Accused of being a thief for a piece of bread?" She asked while she kept her eyes locked on her arm. Her long bangs dangled over her eyes.

They all felt ashamed already. Anna looked at Elsa, speechless. She did not know what to say to that. Aiden's heart dropped. He had lost his only sister for a piece of bread. Even after his vengeance of humiliating the king of Uloenna, he felt empty. The revenge never brought his sister back. Yet he was grateful for meeting the thieves, for they offered everything he ever wanted… A family. Rapunzel and Flynn exchanged ashamed looks.

Aphrodite watched while tears soaked her cheeks. Elsa's weak and sorrowful voice rang in her ears and stabbed her heart. She couldn't watch her daughter's woeful face anymore. _You weren't there when he broke her arm. You weren't there when she was screaming in pain. You were hiding in here, helping those thieves while you should have been helping her!_ She thought angrily at herself. Before she could break in loud cries, she quickly turned and ran away from Elsa's room that brought her too much emotional pain.

Silence crept around the room. They all just stared at each other, unsure on what to say. Elsa was the only one who stared downwards at her gloved hands, which were clasped nervously in her lap.

Anna wanted to know so much more about Elsa. But she was scared to ask the questions, since they might have been very rude or even hurtful for Elsa. So she kept the questions for later.

"Elsa, how about… we show you around the fort a bit. And let you meet the others?" Anna suggested.

"Yeah! There are still a lot of people to meet and a lot to see in this fort. I'm sure you'll have fun. And we still have all day!" Flynn said happily while he stood in excitement, walked towards Rapunzel and rested his elbow on her shoulder.

_And forget about your past._ Anna thought pitifully and hopefully.

"I'll introduce you to Sven too!" Kristoff added happily before he walked towards Elsa's bed and stood next to Anna whom sat at Elsa's bedside.

"Everyone is so excited to meet you!" Rapunzel said with a happy squeal. _Some are extremely happy to see you._ She thought of Aphrodite. _And they wish they could meet you too._

"The whole fort knows who you are, so there's no need to hide or anything." Anna informed. When she saw Elsa tensed, she quickly realized what she just said. "Oh! Don't worry, they are faithful and loyal. They would never tell anyone you're here or harm you. Besides, we are all one family here."

"A huge family." Aiden noted with a chuckle.

The whole room laughed a bit, except for Elsa, who just eyed them carefully.

Anna felt a bit of pride and joy when she saw how Elsa did not recoil or flinch when the men approached the bed.

"Alrighty, then!" Anna announced happily while she clasped her hands together. "Shall we go outside?"

* * *

**REVIEWWWWWWWW! :D Also, for those who don't know french. Here's the translate:**

_Bonjour, Rapunzelle! Comment est-elle notre princesse?_ \- **Goodmorning, Rapunzel! How's our princess doing?**

_Mais qu'est-ce que c'est que ça?! Elle n'en rien manger!_ \- **But what is this?! She didn't eat anything!**

_Oh mon Dieu, vraiment?_ \- **Oh my God, really?**

_Malheureusement, Elle été maltraitée, Rapunzelle. Tout ce qu'elle a besoin maintenant, c'est de repos._ \- **Unfortunately, she was badly treated, Rapunzel. All what she needs, is some rest.**

_Oh! Bonjour, Leanna. Du gingembre? Ah, oui bien sûr!... Une minute, s'il vous plait._ \- **Oh! Hello, Leanna. some ginger? Ah, of course!... One minute, please.**

_Il parait que notre princesse est carnivore._ -** It looks like our princess is a carnivore.**

_Louis, envoyez Sam à l'infirmerie avec les gingembres. Je serai là-bas comme d'habitude._ -** Louis, send Sam to the infirmary with the gingers. I'll be there as always.**

_D'accord!_ \- **Alright!**

**Alright now, hope you enjoyed the story so far. Please review and tell me which of the chapter was your favorite! :D... Mine was... all of them xD**


	16. An Adult Child

**Alrighty fokes! Here is a new chapter. THOUGH, there will be a small dark scene. Not as intense as the others BUT it holds something important ;)**

**Anywho, the time between the updates will be a bit longer cause i'm back to uni and stuff. EWW. **

**Hope you'll enjoy the story! Also, (or Elsa :P) be sure to review PALIZZZ! haha**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XV: An Adult Child

"Alright, Elsa. C'mon, slowly now. Nice and easy…" Anna said while she motioned for Elsa to get up slowly. She wanted to help Elsa up, but she knew Elsa would have definitely flinched away. But she did realize that she allowed her to at least stand right next to her while she tried to stand off the bed.

Elsa winced and moaned in pain at every movement she made. Their hearts just broke as her movements were very shaky and unsteady.

"It's okay, C'mon…" Anna encouraged.

"Anna, I think she's still a bit tired. Maybe she should rest more for a while." Aiden suggested, his face showed concern for Elsa.

"No. I know she can do it. She'd been laying long enough." Anna argued. "C'mon, Elsa." She cheered.

"Anna's right. She's stronger than she looks." Flynn joined the encouragement.

Meanwhile, Rapunzel glanced at the door and checked if Aphrodite was watching. To her disappointment, the queen was already gone.

_Oh god, Aphrodite… Where did you go?_ She thought sadly for the mother while she shook her head in disappointment.

Elsa slowly dangled her skinny legs from the bed, and took a deep breath before she stood. The moment her legs touched the ground and she pushed herself up, she felt dizzy and her legs lost total balance and she collapsed back to the bed, unable to stand on her extremely fragile legs. The legs that she rarely used to walk or stand all these years.

Aiden quickly reacted to help her, but Anna already beat him to it.

"Easy…" Anna rushed to hold Elsa's arm so she could steady her, but Elsa shied her hand away. Anna leaned back with a sad face. "You won't be able to stand on your own, Elsa." Anna informed. She glanced around the room while she tapped her chin with her index and tried to find something that would help Elsa steady herself. She found an old, yet thick wooden stick that rested vertically in the corner. "Hey! How about this!?" Anna ran towards the stick and grabbed it. The stick was one and a half meter long. "This should help. For a while. At least until your legs regain their strength." Anna said, before she approached Elsa with the stick and she quickly noticed how Elsa's eyes widened in fear and shrunk her shoulders up and leaned back to the wall again. "What's wrong?" Anna asked, worried, before she looked at the stick in her hands again and realized how she looked like to Elsa. "Oh! Elsa, nonono! I'm not gonna hurt you! I'm just gonna give it to you so you could help yourself walk." Anna clarified.

The other thieves exchanged concerned looks for Elsa definitely was very skittish.

Elsa's shoulders relaxed a bit, yet her eyes didn't leave the stick in Anna's hands.

Anna held the stick horizontally for Elsa to take it. "Hold it." She said gently.

_Hold it._ The king's commanding words plagued Elsa's mind. The words he always used when he forced her to train her powers while Mad had to slash her back.

Elsa eyed the stick with wide and frightened eyes. _Hold it!?_ Elsa thought. _What if I failed to hold it without freezing it! No! She'll be angry at me if I did! A-And… P-Papa will be angry!_ She thought, afraid she would have failed her 'Conceal' test.

Anna looked at her in confusion. She wondered what was Elsa thinking of, and why she was afraid to hold the stick. As if she red Elsa's mind, her eyes suddenly widened and she remembered Elsa's training technique back in the cellar when they saw her. "It's not the training!" Anna quickly blurted. "D-Don't worry if you freeze it by mistake. Though I know you won't, so this is why the gloves are for. As it seems when you wear your gloves, your powers are restrained somehow." Anna explained.

_My curse._ Elsa corrected in her mind.

Elsa already knew the miracle of the gloves, just like her father told her. But she was never sure it would have worked. She looked back at the stick in Anna's hands hesitantly before she took it gradually and carefully.

_No ice!... N-NO ICE!_ Elsa thought joyfully.

Elsa felt utterly relieved on the inside but she did not show it. She exhaled silently in solace as if an elephant was on her chest.

"See, I told you can do it." Anna said cheerfully.

The others smiled at the sisters proudly.

_You sure care about your sister, Anna._ Aiden thought pitifully.

"Alright, now. Try and get up again. Use it for support." Anna instructed while she pointed at the stick.

Elsa rested the tip of the stick on the ground before she slowly pushed herself shakily up. She winced again at her pained movements and felt every tip of her muscles ached.

"Don't worry about the pain. You'll feel better when you start walking again. Your muscles will relax. They just need some exercises. You did also lose a lot of blood, so if you're dizzy, don't worry too much about it." Rapunzel reassured.

Elsa's legs trembled again and she would have fallen to her knees but she quickly held firmly to the stick and steadied herself.

"There you go!" Anna cheered while she clapped her hands.

Elsa blinked the dizziness away and she stood a bit straighter, more confident in her legs.

"Alright, come on everyone. Let's go outside." Aiden said while he waved his hand to the door.

Rapunzel and Anna stood at the side of Elsa-but not too close- just in case she stumbled or needed help.

They walked towards the door slowly so that Elsa could catch up. Elsa tried her best not to fall as she walked prudently with them. On her way to the door, her eyes fell on the mirror. This time she was able to see her reflection, and she froze in her track. Anna and Rapunzel took a few steps forward before they turned and looked at Elsa in concern. "Elsa, what's wrong?" Anna asked worried, her voice turned the men in from of them to attention.

Elsa's eyes were wide, her jaw slack and her face unreadable. She was staring at something. They all followed her gaze and landed on the mirror.

_Oh, no._ Anna thought sadly. She supposed Elsa was shocked to see her body's condition but she got totally bewildered when Elsa spoke.

"Is… I-Is that… me?!" Elsa asked, her eyes did not blink once from the mirror while she pointed with one trembling hand at the image in front of her.

The others exchanged nervous looks. They knew that Elsa wasn't supposed to see herself in this horrible state.

"Um… Y-yeah, but don't worry! Your wounds will heal in time." Anna reassured.

"B-But… It's… It's a woman!" Elsa said her voice quivering in confusion and horror.

The thieves' jaw dropped.

_What did she mean 'it's a woman'! Of course she is… what did she think she would see? A little gi-? _Anna thought before her eyes went wide in shock when the suspicions clicked in her mind. _C-can it be?!_ She turned to her friends with shocked eyes and they exchanged the same. Anna walked a bit closer to Elsa, her eyebrows furrowed in concern. "E-Elsa… H-how old are you?" Anna asked while she tilted her head a bit. _Does she thinks she is a little girl or something!?_

Elsa finally turned her head to them with a bewildered face. "I-I… I don't know." She said in shame.

Indeed. Elsa had lost track in time very long ago. She was locked in her cellar and never saw the sun, barely was educated enough to count the days and was never even in a condition that would allow her to focus enough to do so. The last time she saw her reflection in a mirror, she was twelve and a half years old. That had been the day _she_ got rid of it.

* * *

**Elsa's Flashback**

Twelve years old Elsa lay on the ground in her cellar whilst she cried her eyes out from her swollen and bruised limbs. Her wrists were bound and her mouth was gagged with a piece of cloth to prevent her from screaming. After he beat her up, the king left Mad with her to continue his work.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk… Why are you crying little one?" Mad asked mischievously while he approached her.

Elsa only sobbed. Her body cramped from the beating her father gave her, and it's all because she refused to start her usual powers training.

"You see? It would have been much less painful for you if you had let us train you. But you refused. And look what you made him do. You know that you deserved it." He laughed wickedly, then, "Never disobey your father, little one!"

Elsa didn't acknowledge him. She just cried and sobbed in pain. Her eyes were shut and heavy tears rolled down her cheeks whilst she trembled.

Mad got annoyed at her bad, ignoring behavior. He felt his anger rise and he quickly gripped her hair and forced her to look up at the mirror. "Look at yourself, Monster!" Mad yelled while his face showed a jeering smile and pointed with his other hand on the mirror. "You look like a disfigured freak! Hideous thing aren't you?" When he realized she did not open her eyes, he gripped her hair harder and gripped her jaw with his other hand. "Stubborn one aren't you?... I said LOOK!" He yelled in rage.

Elsa finally forced herself to open her eyes groggily and took sight of her reflection in the mirror. She would have gasped in horror at the sight of her body but the gag did not allow her to. _No! _She thought miserably.

"See?!" Mad asked with a wicked laugh. "Look at that face!... or that body of yours! You're nothing but a malformed monster!" He said with a voice that quivered in excitement.

The sight of the image in front of her forced even more tears to come down her cheeks. Her once beautiful platinum hair was messed up, bloody and sticky from sweat. Her delicate tiny body was nothing but bruised and scarred.

"People wouldn't be afraid of your curse, but…" He laughed again and released her hair before she collapsed back on the ground. "They would just run away by the sight of you!... Disgusted and horrified from you." He said before he looked at her and licked his lips in anticipation. "You know… you'll sure amuse us when you grow that body of yours up, and become a full whore." He smirked and walked towards the table, before he grabbed a scissor in his hand. "But you still have a long way ahead. You're still a twelve years old brat, and that doesn't help amuse me enough." He said before he knelt next to her and grabbed a long lock of her platinum hair. "If you don't mind… I want a remedy from you. It might be put to good use if needed someday." He said before he cut half of the lock of hair that made her whimper, and placed the now-stray hair in a jar. "There," He said while he looked at the platinum hair inside the jar and shook it. "This should be enough." He finished before he stood up and walked towards the door. He turned one last time to look at Elsa whom was still sobbing in pain and fear. "Look at yourself, Monster. Look at your horrid and ugly self!" He said before he slammed the door close behind him.

Elsa felt relieved that he left. But her mind was already damaged with bad and tormenting thoughts. She lifted her head shakily to take a look at herself again. She stared at her reflection despondently and in shame. Her breath quickened in anger and she clenched her hands in fists while her eyes glared at the thing in front of her. _Look at yourself… Monster… An ugly monster!... ugly, deformed MONSTER!... _She thought while she shook her head at the reflection vigorously and denied her appearance. _Ugly… ugly!... Ugly, ugly, ugly, UGLYYY!_ She suddenly screamed in rage and sent a blast of ice directly at the mirror. The mirror cracked and shattered. Shards of glass exploded around the room. Luckily, none of them hit her, but she was already back on the ground and sobbing in fear, sorrow and anger. _Why?… Why?!_

* * *

They all stared at her while she stared at the pale woman in the mirror. Elsa just couldn't believe her eyes. _Has it really been this long?!_ She thought utterly shocked.

_What does she mean she doesn't know?! How couldn't she know her age?!... Didn't they have mirrors in the castle before he locked her?!... Could it be that she's…Oh god no! This can't be! _Anna was lost in her own thoughts and Elsa's cracking and quivering voice snapped her back.

"I was… L-Locked… The d-day I ki-" Elsa said but stopped herself from continuing. _What if I told them of my sins! Would they kill me or hurt me just like Papa?! But… They have a right to punish me! I deserve it!... No… I can't tell them what I did! I can't tell them who I killed! _Elsa's mind rolled in a war of thoughts. Elsa was starting to tremble of the thought of her mother and baby sister. The only people who ever loved her, and she killed them.

The thieves eyed her in confusion and shock, and waited for her to continue.

"I had to be locked away f-from people… b-because all I've done was hurt them." Elsa said with a shameful voice. "P-Papa locked me away when…" She trailed off then started crying. "W-When my Mama and my sister… were gone." She managed to say through with a trembling voice before she suddenly collapsed to the ground on her knees and cried and wailed her heart out. _Frozen by my own hands!... I killed them! I killed them!... It was all my fault!_

Rapunzel and Anna ran to Elsa's side and knelt next to her so they could find a way to somehow comfort her. But they couldn't touch her as they knew she would have just flinched away. All what they did, was gave her a pitiful and sorry look.

_Oh, Elsa…_ Anna thought, utterly sad for the woman. She knew the queen and princess disappeared from the men she heard back in Arendelle. But she did not know when they specifically did. _You lost and suffered so much… But… When did the queen and princess disappeared then? _Anna thought, more confused.

"Oh god…!" Kristoff suddenly breathed in shock.

The thieves turned to him in confusion while Elsa kept mourning for her mother and sister.

"Guys…" He trailed off nervously before he gulped and placed both hands on his head in shock. "The queen and princess disappeared fifteen years ago!" Kristoff clarified in shock.

All of them gasped in shock. _Fifteen years!? _Anna's mind screamed before she turned to Rapunzel and they both looked back at Elsa with horrified looks of disbelief. _She's been locked for fifteen years?!..._ _FIFTEEN! _Anna thought. _He tortured her for fifteen years?! That… That piece of shit! _She thought, completely in rage at the king's cruelty. She just couldn't get the number of years out of her mind.

_Fifteen?!... Does Aphrodite even know?!... Does she know her daughter had been locked and tortured for fifteen GOD DAMN YEARS!? _Rapunzel thought.

"Um, guys… can we talk for a sec?!" Kristoff quickly suggested. His eyes wide incredulously. "Rapunzel, stay with Elsa." He said and received a quick nod from Rapunzel, before he walked out of the room followed by the others who were still shocked. Yet one redhead was in rage.

* * *

When they went outside and closed the door behind them, the first thing that Aiden did was to place a hand on Anna's mouth while she screamed, flailed her hands and struggled in his grip in anger. "Anna, calm down!" Aiden said and lifted Anna off the ground so she couldn't do anything crazy.

"Put me down! I'm gonna kill him!" Anna yelled in anger and accidentally hit Aiden square in the face while her hands drummed his chest in rage.

Aiden quickly let her go and held his nose in pain. "Seriously!?... That hurts!" He asked with a voice muffled from his nose.

Anna glared at him, "If _that_ hurts, what do you think Elsa was feeling all these years then HUH!?" She yelled.

"Anna, lower your voice. We don't need her to hear this even too!" Kristoff tried to persuade.

Anna huffed angrily before she groaned and crossed her arms on her chest in a childish manner. "Fine. What did you wanted to say?" She asked while her eyes pierced through Kristoff's soul.

_Oh, boy. This is not gonna calm her down at all._ Kristoff thought, worried that Anna would lash out again on what he was about to reveal.

Kristoff scratched his head in nervousness. "Well, I was just 5 years old… A-And I was in the barn when I heard people outside shouting to each other that the king summoned them to the courtyard. So I followed. When we arrived the king announced the queen and princess's d-disappearance because of some sort of an ambush. Though he did not say where they were when the ambush occurred."

Aiden and Flynn exchanged worried looks. They knew this could raise Anna's suspicions.

"And…" Anna asked confused.

"That's not the problem! What I wanna say is… When the king announced the news, he also said that Princess Elsa was badly injured and that she will receive… _s-special_ medical treatment for her condition… And we didn't even had the chance to see her. The king just proclaimed the news and went inside the castle." Kristoff explained.

"So you think he hid her that day!?... He locked her there on that day!" Anna concluded.

"Yeah… On that night, it was…" Kristoff sighed, "The first time we all heard the screams. And we now know whom screams they were." He said while he lowered his head in sadness.

_How did she survive all these years?!_ Flynn thought.

A moment of silent surrounded them before Kristoff groaned in frustration and placed his hand on his temple. They didn't like that. They knew Kristoff has something else to say.

"What is it?!... can things get any worse?!" Anna asked and felt her anger rise again.

Kristoff lifted his head and gave them a regretful look. "One more thing." He took a deep breath then, "If the princess really was locked and tortured that night, then it means…" He stopped, didn't have the courage to say the terrible news.

"Spit it out god damn it!" Anna yelled.

"Elsa was only six years old." Kristoff revealed before he frowned in annoyance at the thing he said.

All Arendelle knew of course the crown princess's age, back then. She was the heir after all.

Anna's anger quickly vanished and replaced with complete sorrow. She stared at Kristoff in disbelief and tried not to accept his words. _No…_ She thought sadly. Her eyes suddenly felt warm and tears streamed down her cheeks. _No! _She shook her head at him in denial.

Kristoff looked at them before he started again, "People in Arendelle started getting suspicious about the screams. So I think that's why Elsa was announced dead from her injuries a long time ago. But the screams never stopped. I think the king said that, so the people don't get their doubts hi-"

"She was a child!" Anna suddenly snapped.

Aiden suddenly felt his own anger grew. He gritted his teeth and his hands clenched and unclenched in fury. Anna was right, no doubt at all. _A six years old girl… locked away?... and tortured?!... FOR WHAT?! _He thought angrily at the king. _His own daughter! His own child! Why would he do all that?! He's… He's a fucking maniac! _

"Can you imagine all this?!" Anna started breathing fast and shook her head, "Her whole life!" She roared in rage and before she could have ran off again and killed someone, Flynn held her by the wrist.

"Anna, just calm down! We can't do anything now! The damage is already done! What matters now is that we help her forget all this!" _If she's able to. _

As if Anna heard his thoughts, she whipped her hand away from his grip and glared at him. "You think she can?! It's fifteen years God dammit!... Who could ever recover from that?!" She yelled. "Not just that but she was six!... SIX! Am I talking to deaf people!?" She yelled.

Flynn and Aiden already presumed that Anna's reaction was to rage. Due to the fact that she was actually her sister, they thought it might have been some sort of instincts or a sisterly protection mode.

They all noticed how her face turned sad all of a sudden. She lowered her head to look at the ground and she hugged her middle, then sighed, "She suffered so much, guys." A tear ran down her cheek, "Too, too much… I don't think she deserves all this like she said she did… What could she had ever done to be locked away like that? What could even a six year old little girl had done to be considered dangerous?"

"Maybe because the king was scared because of her powers?" Kristoff noted.

"If he was so scared of her powers, he could have only gave her gloves! Just like we did. And not torture her!" Anna argued.

"Then you think there's more to it?" Flynn asked.

"Well I know one thing… The king is a fucking pervert." Aiden said bluntly before he crossed his arms in anger. "Besides, she doesn't look dangerous."

"But didn't you hear her?" Flynn started, "She said herself that she deserved it. She also said something about _sins_."

"Agh, for goodness sake! What _sin_ can a child would had committed?!" Anna yelled again in Flynn's face. Anna clearly was experiencing an emotional rollercoaster now.

_Maybe I should ask Aphrodite about that… Wait. Does Aphrodite know?! _Aiden thought. "Anna, instead of yelling at each other, we should probably return to see how Elsa's doing." He said while he motioned for her to get inside Elsa's room.

Anna's eyes widened in realization that they left Rapunzel with a depressed and confused Elsa alone.

* * *

Rapunzel sat cross-legged next to Elsa on the ground while she watched her pitifully. She just didn't know how to comfort the woman in a situation like _this_. She never confronted someone so traumatized. She knew it must have been more than shocking for Elsa to be back to reality and to discover something like _this_ about herself. _Oh, Elsa… No one had ever suffered like you. Aphrodite won't be happy about this… Fifteen years?! _She thought while she eyed Elsa's body and tried to figure out her age. _She's about my age. Maybe a bit bigger. But… It means… It's about her whole life! God! She's… She's had been through a lot!_ She thought, shocked. She never met someone whom life was _that_ miserable… And miserable was even a small word to describe it. Sure she herself had been locked away when she was a little girl in a tower with a psychopath woman, Gothel, before the thieves saved her, but at least she wasn't tortured, starved, beaten or endured whatever horrible things Elsa had to face. In fact the woman used to treat her like a daughter. So her case was heaven comparing to Elsa's. Since the princess's own father was the one who hurt and abused her, and that gave Rapunzel the shivers. Rapunzel had always thought she lived a bad life back in the tower. But now, after she saw Elsa's suffering, she felt stupid and guilty. The thought of imagining a little girl grew up with chains around her wrists and had no time to even sleep to rest from the pain, just made Rapunzel tear up herself. She never saw a woman so devastated, lost, confused and depressed. Rapunzel mentally gasped. She couldn't take it anymore. She looked away from Elsa and tried to hide her own tears.

Elsa sat on her legs on the ground while she rocked herself back and forth, her hands on her face and cried. In Elsa's mind, she was still a twelve years old girl. She never did bother or even had the thought to count the days and keep herself updated with her age. Her mind had been always focused on forgetting the pain or the disturbing words her father had carved in it. _This can't be… I can't be a woman! It's… It's too soon! I'm twelve, I'm twelve! _She thought desperately tried not to believe that all that time had passed.

Rapunzel wiped away her tears before she took a deep breath and turned to shift a bit closer to Elsa. "Elsa how about you sit on the bed. We don't want your wounds to get worse… You're still just confused and tired." She said before she waited nervously a moment for Elsa to reply.

Elsa tried to stop herself from crying. She hiccupped one time before she let her hands fall from her face to hug her middle. She turned her face slowly to look at Rapunzel.

When Rapunzel saw those pleading, begging and bloodshot eyes, she felt her heart crumbled and she looked away again then sighed sadly. "I'm sorry, Elsa." She said, yet she didn't know why she felt the need to say it.

"Do you know why Papa… locked me?" Elsa suddenly asked with a voice so weak and sorrowful.

Rapunzel looked back at Elsa with a questioned face, but kept silent and waited for Elsa to continue.

Elsa looked back to the ground and lowered her head in shame while she hugged herself. "I… _hurt_ people. People who loved me… Papa is not bad. He is just g-giving me what I deserve."

_By torturing you?!_ Rapunzel thought.

"I'm… I'm a monster." Elsa looked at her gloved hands, "An ugly freak… a murdered…Unholy. Nothing else."

Rapunzel was speechless. She just couldn't believe how much Elsa was tormented against herself. "But I don't see a monster." She smiled at Elsa sadly, "I see a beautiful girl who was just wronged. A girl with an amazing gift and that she shouldn't be sad about having such a blessing."

Elsa closed her eyes and tried to force the tears not to fall. "God don't help monsters... Monsters are bad and evil… Conceal, don't feel, Papa used to tell me. Monsters don't feel. They are born to destroy… I am born to destroy. All I ever did was d-destroy… This is not a gift, it's a curse. _I am_ a curse… Planted by the devil… When Papa locked me, he stopped me from hurting anyone. He saved and kept everyone safe from me."

Rapunzel felt her tears formed again. She knew Elsa's optimism was _way_ below zero. But she didn't blame her at all. Fifteen years of misery won't be forgotten in one discussion. She opened her mouth to speak just when the door opened and the others entered with a concerned face. Elsa hugged herself again and kept her eyes downwards and avoided the men. Rapunzel frowned anxiously at her friends. She knew by the look of their faces and especially Anna's, that they discovered something new. Anna looked at Rapunzel with a sorrowful look and held six fingers in front of her. Rapunzel's eyes widened in shock and she clasped her hand on her mouth before she could have let out a gasp and startled Elsa. _Six?!... She was six?!… Oh, no… Aphrodite… T-This is going to crush her! Oh my God, what am I gonna do?! _She thought before she turned and looked worriedly at Elsa. _Oh my, Elsa… No wonder why everything seems new to you. You were just so young! _She thought while she showered Elsa with pity.

Anna couldn't keep her eyes off of Elsa. She felt her heart ripped in million pieces. Now, she didn't see a broken woman, but she saw a helpless, terrified little girl. "E-Elsa…" She said, her voice shook from the heavy sorrow that weighted her heart and forced herself not to cry in front of her. "Let's… Let's just go outside. Show you around the fort and help you clear your mind off of things." _From whatever horrible and nasty memories that are haunting you. _She thought.

Elsa lifted her head slowly and looked at the people around her, before she nodded slowly.

"C'mon, I'll help you." Anna said while she walked towards Elsa with held up hands.

Elsa had already made an immense effort just to push herself off the bed. Now, she needed to push her whole body off the ground, using her trembling, weak legs. And she knew it was impossible without at least some help. Would she take the risk and allow Anna to help her? What if her curse leapt at Anna? What if Anna even hurt her?

Anna held a hand to help Elsa up. Yet she did realize that she held it in midair for what seems like forever since Elsa only stared at it and her face unreadable, then she looked away from Anna's hand in denial.

Elsa placed the tip of the stick on the ground and held it vertically and tried desperately to push herself up. She winced hardly when she felt the immense pain in her back, her stomach, her legs and everywhere. Her barely stored strength drained, and she stumbled back to the floor while her breath labored a bit from the pain.

Anna sighed. "Elsa, just hold my hand so I can help you. You're still in pain, you can't stand on your own. You barely did off the bed." She said yet with the gentlest voice she mustered so that Elsa didn't feel intimidated, but it did hold a bit of a determined tone.

Elsa looked at the hand again and realized that she was hopeless. She did need help, but she was scared since 'Help' was never offered before in her life.

Anna moved forward towards Elsa slowly, and kept an attentive eye on Elsa's movement and reactions. She didn't want to scare the girl.

"Rapunzel, can you help Elsa on the other side?... Okay, Elsa. Just relax. We're just gonna help you. We won't hurt you, I promise." Anna knelt a bit next to Elsa and placed her hand under Elsa's left elbow so she couldn't somehow hurt her broken arm and she couldn't help but to feel how much Elsa was cold, but she shook her worries away. Meantime, Rapunzel mimicked Anna's movements from the right side.

The men just stood and watched attentively.

At the contact, both Anna and Rapunzel felt Elsa's whole body tense greatly accompanied with a small gasp and whimper of fear.

"It's okay!" Anna quickly assured with a soft voice so she could calm her down.

Anna allowed a pressure upwards on Elsa's elbow to motion for her to start and try to stand.

Elsa's eyes darted worriedly at the hands that touched her elbows, before she started lifting herself up carefully and slowly. She winced and groaned from the pain but they managed to help her up.

"See? There you go-" Anna started cheerfully but she was surprised when the moment Elsa was on her feet, she quickly recoiled her elbows away from their hands and held to the stick as if her life depended on it while her shoulders reached her ears and she bit her lip in anxiety.

Anna felt a bit disappointed but she wouldn't allow herself what so ever to blame Elsa's jumpy reactions. _Well… At least she allowed us to help her. That's a start, right? _She thought to herself happily.

"Alrighty, everyone!" Anna started, "March!" She said playfully while she pointed at the door, her other hand on her hip and her chest puffed up.

They all gave Elsa a sad smile before they walked to the door, but both Anna and Rapunzel kept a close and alerted distance from Elsa who was struggling not to wince while she walked and limped._ Where are they taking me?!_ Elsa thought anxiously and a bit afraid.

"The fort is beautiful. You'll love it here. We'll just show you around until dinner." Anna said while smiling radiantly at her.

_How does she keep reading my mind?!_ Elsa thought confused.

_Oh god Elsa you have a lot to see! _Anna thought excitedly while her gold haired friend, Rapunzel, was having her own train of worried thoughts. _How the hell am I going to tell Aphrodite?_

* * *

**REVIEWWWWW ! :D ALSO i have decided to add a cover photo for every chapter so you can see The cover photo of Chapter 16 (Link in my profile description) due to the fact that FF doesn't allow links in here.**

**As you can see our beautiful Anna. Always ... some sort of sense what her sister, Elsa feels and think. That's what siblings do. If you have one, you would understand. Just like all of us :)**

**Anywho, i really hope you're enjoying the story even though it's FUCKING sad. But i assure you things are about to get better at last. PLZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ... REVIEW.**

**Next Chap : Innocence**


	17. Innocence - Part I

**This Chapter is my favorite! I had to split it in two since it's huge!**

**Enjoy Elsa's amazing inner beauty!**

**And be sure to listen to the song : (Innocence – Avril Lavigne) After you read the chap! :D**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XVI: Innocence – Part I

The Moment they opened the door, Elsa froze and her eyes shot wide as she stared at dozens of people, men and women, who all stopped what they were doing and turned their eyes on her.

"Hey, everyone!" Anna waved, "Meet her highness, Princess Elsa!" She said cheerfully.

A moment of silent overwhelmed the room. Everyone just stared blankly at her, before suddenly, everyone's face lit up in unison and they all started running towards Elsa to greet her.

Elsa saw the crowd whom were rushing to meet her… or kill her. And she quickly cowered behind Anna and Rapunzel.

"WOAH-HO-HO, woah, woah!" Aiden's voice suddenly came out. "Back away from the princess!" He shouted with an intimidating and determined voice. While he stood all puffed up in front of Elsa, Anna and Rapunzel so he could cover them up.

Everyone stared dumbly at Aiden before they backed away a bit.

"Good." Aiden said while he crossed his arms.

"Woah there, guard dog! They just wanna see Elsa here." Anna joked while she tapped his shoulder.

Aiden moved to the side and allowed Elsa whom was hiding behind Anna, to see the others.

Anna turned her head and looked at Elsa from behind her shoulder, "Say Hi, Elsa." Anna encouraged.

Elsa looked at Anna, then at the crowd then back at Anna then at Aiden for some reason then back at the crowd. She gulped nervously before she lifted her hand a bit from behind Anna's shoulder and gave the smallest and shiest wave.

Then suddenly the crowd started shouting and greeting in excitement again and moved forward towards Elsa.

Elsa tensed again, she clutched the stick hard and backed away.

Aiden, Flynn and Kristoff moved to push the crowd away. Aiden held two men at the same time off the ground so he could shove them away. Flynn and Kristoff struggled with the others.

"God! These people are like friendly puppies!" Rapunzel mocked while she laughed in unease.

The room's temperature suddenly dropped immensely. This was too much for Elsa. Too many people. She'd been interacting with only two people for fifteen years, and they were never good to her.

Some stopped their tracks and backed away a bit as they remembered that Elsa could have literally impaled them with icicles or exploded ice everywhere at any minute, but most of them were stubborn and tried to reach Elsa so they could introduce themselves to the royal highness.

Anna felt the cold temperature. _Uh-Oh._ She turned her head and saw from behind her shoulder how Elsa's eyes were wide with fright, her shoulders reached her ears again as she began to cower in fear and held to the stick as if she will forever. Before Elsa could panic, Anna felt her anger rise at the dumb guild members. "ENOUGH!" She yelled loudly. Her voice was so full with determination and boldness that everyone froze in place but unfortunately, Anna forgot about Elsa's reaction. Anna turned to look at Elsa who already closed her ears and shut her eyes in fear whilst she trembled.

Anna sighed. She knew she shouldn't have shouted like that. But at least she stopped them from freaking Elsa out more. She turned to the friendly, excited female guild members while Aiden placed the men on the ground and glared at the male guild members. Then, both Anna and Aiden started talking turn by turn.

"Alright. Now that you are all quiet, I want to clarify some things for you here." Anna started.

"Princess Elsa, is to be treated with respect." Aiden demanded.

"She is just a normal woman, just like us." Anna said as both kept speaking continuously.

"She is still frightened and who dare get close to her…" Aiden said while he harshly pocked one of the men.

"Should have to deal with…" Anna continued.

"Me." Aiden finished while he glared his eyes through the men's soul.

"She also wants to be treated like a regular girl. Do you hear me?" Anna reminded.

"A regular. Girl!" Aiden stood over the men as he was very tall comparing to the others.

Both sides of women and men nodded at the two before they stood straighter and smiled apologetically at Elsa.

"Alright, that's better." Anna said before she turned to the scared girl. "Sorry, Elsa. Excuse our friends' enthusiasm, since it's the first time they meet a royal. And they are a bit… Friendly." Anna said sarcastically with a chuckle. _And it's the first time they meet a woman with ice magic._

Elsa opened her eyes and looked up at Anna who was smiling warmly at her.

"Okay, then." Anna started happily. "Elsa may I introduce, Olly," One of the men bowed. "His sister Sally," A women from the right waved. "Cosmo, Jacob, One legged William, Emma, The Twins Abigail and Emily, Michael, Jayden, Alex and finally, Crazy Mason." Anna announced while she pointed at each and every one of them in turn whom either bowed, waved or curtsied.

"Okay, everyone. Now if you would please excuse Princess Elsa, she has a fort to explore." Rapunzel said while she waved her hands at the guild members in a shooing motion.

As everyone went back to their business, just when Anna and the others were about to take Elsa out of the sanctuary. Brandon and Tyler entered the main hall while they were arguing on something.

"I'm telling you. Keeping her here is too dangerou-" Tyler was saying when he was surprised to see Anna and the thieves were standing around a platinum blonde, ice princess.

"You're awake!" Brandon called happily while he ran to Elsa and the others.

"Yeah… awake." Tyler mumbled under his breath grumpily while he remembered the damage she'd done and followed Brandon slowly.

They all turned at Brandon's voice. Brandon walked towards Elsa but stopped and kept a bit of a distance. "How's are you feeling?" He asked with a soothing smile.

Elsa stared at Brandon for a minute, unsure of what to do or say. She looked at Anna as if asking for help.

Anna smiled reassuringly, "Elsa, this is Brandon and Tyler." She said while she pointed at the men.

Elsa only somehow squinted her eyes as if trying to analyze Brandon. _Have I seen him before? _She wondered.

The idea suddenly exploded in Brandon's mind. His eyes shot wide as realization hit him. Elsa was trying to recognize him since he was the one who was there at the ambush. _How did I forget that?! _He quickly turned his back to her and hid his face. "I-uh… U-Uhmm… I-I-I have to go, now! Me and Tyler have some business to attend to. Come on, Tyler!" He said before he rushed away not waiting for Tyler to respond.

Tyler gave him a quizzical look then before he could follow him, he turned to Elsa and bowed mockingly, "Your highness."

Fortunately, Elsa and the others didn't quite get the insult.

"What was that for?" Anna asked. _It's like Brandon was scared of Elsa. God, she's not a monster! She just… accidentally sent ice everywhere. _Anna thought angrily at Brandon's behavior.

"It's nothing, Anna. I'm sure Brandon just remembered some important thing to do." Aiden covered him up.

"Yeah, right." Anna replied, unconvinced.

Aiden sighed, "Can we go outside, now?" He asked. He didn't want to argue with Anna about this, so he preferred to stick to the point of showing Elsa around.

"Yeah! C'mon, Elsa!" Anna said cheerfully.

Elsa kept her wondering eyes on Brandon's back before she snapped out of her thoughts when he disappeared around the corner of the hall. "Hmm?" She said distractingly.

"We're going outside!" Anna repeated again happily. "Let's go!" She said excitedly while she pointed at the sanctuary door that led to the fort's town square.

* * *

When they opened the door for her, Elsa's eyes were totally blinded by the brightness outside and she quickly took a step back inside and hid her eyes with her arm from the sun that burned right through them. The sun that she did not see for fifteen years nor did it shine on her pale skin and gave it warmth.

The others stepped outside then turned to wait for Elsa to do so too. "It's okay, Elsa. It's just the sun." Anna encouraged.

Elsa was unable to see. She blinked several time and tried to adjust her eyes on the current brightness and stepped carefully outside. The sun illuminated her skin and hair that they almost looked white. She felt her eyes burned, so she kept them closed.

"Don't worry, Elsa. Just open your eyes." Anna said again with a gentle voice.

Elsa tried to open her eyes slowly again. Everything seemed blurry at first, but as the image in front of her slowly cleared, her jaw dropped and her eyes just darted around the fort quickly in fascination and amazement.

Just by the huge open space in front of her, made her lose her breath. She almost felt naked outside, as the beautiful summer breeze caressed her whole body for the first time in forever. She couldn't stop her cyan irises from moving around her eyes as she took sight of everything in front of her. She just couldn't choose one thing to concentrate on. She saw multiple children were running behind each other for some reason, yet they were laughing. She saw some of the women around the crops pulled an orange thing from the ground and placed it inside a basket full with vegetables. Dogs and chickens and multiple other animals were roaming around the fort. She saw people locked in discussions and arguments. Some were pointing and looking at her as if they never saw something like her before, but others were smiling at her sympathetically. She saw a man was grooming a huge white horse that stood tall and proud right next to the stables. She saw multiple guards were pacing around the fort fences, and most of them were staring at her in awe… but she did not recognize that. Men were carrying wood, hay and metal. Thieves were training in the barracks. There was a small market square, where merchants were shouting and advertising their goods. Small wooden shacks were scattered around the fort and at the corner on the right, were a stone longhouse that was probably the tavern.

Everything seemed so wide and opened. The huge green landscape and far beyond, the beautiful blue and warm sky, the white puffy clouds, the bright yellow sun. There were just so many colors around. All these years all the colors that Elsa's eyes were able to catch, were blood red, darkness and frosty blue and strawberry blond of her father's hair. Elsa kept staring around at many things and just couldn't stop her desire to look for more.

Anna and the others watched Elsa happily. They knew they shouldn't talk in a situation like this. They wanted her to see for herself, slowly and adjust to the new life. Though, they were pretty occupied at staring at Elsa's eyes. The cyan irises were literally almost glowing from the sun rays that hit them. They looked so bright and full with awe and a child's curiosity that wanted to rush and explore the world. Elsa's mouth was opened in surprise. Her hair was now bright white. Anna and Rapunzel giggled at Elsa's reaction. She just looked adorable.

While Anna and Rapunzel saw her adorable, the men never realized until now how astonishing and beautiful Elsa really was. Yet they all felt a bit heartbroken when Elsa's scares and injuries looked bright red on her pale skin.

Aiden leaned a bit to Anna's ear. "Anna, shouldn't you tell her to close her eyes before they fall off?" He joked. _Those damn gorgeous eyes!_

Anna punched him playfully on the chest. "Give her time, ya big oaf. Can't you see that she just can't get enough?" Anna said with a radiant smile.

Aiden chuckled a bit, "I'm just joking." He said while he held his hands in defense.

"I don't blame her though," Rapunzel said, "Fifteen years in a dark cellar isn't quite an easy thing as I recall."

"I confess," Flynn started, "I don't think any of us would have survived what she went through. It's quite shocking actually how she can still at least talk and walk."

"Though not much- Oof!" Kristoff said before he received an elbow to his stomach from Anna.

"Stop it you guys. Give her a break. Don't make me remind you that she was just a kid when that piece of a poopy father did what he did." Anna said with a small glare.

"Poopy?..." Aiden asked with a playful smirk, "He's more than just _poopy_. It's an insult to poop. Poop aren't cruel!... Okay maybe sometimes they are stubborn to come out-"

"Ah!-Bluajkbbdqikjqen EEWWW, I don't wanna hear it!" Anna said while she covered her ears. "Gosh, that's disgusting!"

"Said the one who beat me in a burp competition." Flynn reminded.

Aiden stiffened a snort laugh while Anna gasped and blushed so hard, her face was literally red from embarrassment. _You shouldn't have said that in front of Kristoff!_ She thought angrily at Flynn, but relaxed a bit when she heard Kristoff laugh.

"Seriously?" Kristoff laughed again, "Burp?... Then I think you should have a worthy opponent like me someday." He said while he puffed his muscular chest.

Anna blushed even harder and rubbed her hands nervously, "Y-Yeah…" She said then laughed awkwardly. _Okay. Tonight: Kill Flynn. Midnight: Suicide mission of embarrassment._ She thought before she sent a death glare to Flynn who only replied with shrugged shoulders. She frowned at him before she pointed two fingers to her eyes then back at Flynn in a motion of 'I'm watching you'. Then she heard Aiden's snort again and she sent him a death glare too and he quickly straightened and stopped laughing, yet the smug smile never left his face.

"Guys, are we going to talk about poop and burp here or are we gonna wake Elsa out of her trance?" Rapunzel reminded with a laugh.

"Oh! Right." Anna said before she turned to Elsa and approached her carefully so she couldn't spook her. "Um, Elsa?"

Elsa quickly jumped in surprise and snapped out of her reverie. She looked at Anna quizzically to answer but then her eyes landed on the snowy mountains way high up and she lost focus on Anna again and continued her trance.

"I'll take that as 'The fort is beautiful'" Anna said while she giggled. "Well, you still have a lot to see, though. So C'mon!"

* * *

As they walked into the fort town square, Anna couldn't stop herself from talking. She took the responsibility to be The Guide for the fort tour yet she didn't quite noticed the eyes on them, or technically, at Elsa, who was walking next to Anna in unease, since it's been more than a decade since she walked in such an open space. Not just that but she felt as if everyone's eyes were piercing her back. And she just wanted to go back in the sanctuary and hide in her shell.

"Those are the stables over there." Anna pointed at where a man was grooming Maximus. "See this? That's where we plant and harvest our crops…" She pointed at where several women were busy working in the corn field, but stopped what they were doing to smile and wave at Elsa, yet she quickly looked away shyly.

"That's The Snuggly Duckling Tavern over there." Anna pointed at the stone longhouse at the corner before she giggled a bit then, "It's Flynn's _favorite_ place."

"Hey! It's not my fault they make great ale." Flynn reasoned.

Anna only rolled her eyes and continued walking and showing Elsa around. "Here is the infirmary. Though I don't advise you to get in there. It's always busy in there and-" Anna was explaining and her eyes suddenly widened when she remembered that she did not introduce the most important person to Elsa. "Oh my god! Elsa, you met about half the fort and you still didn't meet my mum! God, she was the one who healed you, so you have every right to meet her!" Anna said before she started rushing towards the infirmary but was held back by Rapunzel's voice.

Rapunzel, Aiden and Flynn quickly panicked when Anna have begun talking about letting Elsa meet her mum. And especially since Anna's mum, was actually Elsa's too.

"Uhh! I-I think your mum already told you that she doesn't need to be bothered Anna… S-Since you know, she's a b-bit busy and all" _And desperately wants to talk to her daughter._

Anna stopped in her tracks and turned with a frown while she thought the idea through. "Damn, you're right. She did say that… Hmmm, well don't worry Elsa. You'll meet her tomorrow or after." Anna reassured happily.

"Aiden! Anna!" A cheerful woman's voice suddenly startled them to attention.

Aiden winced in embarrassment as he recognized the voice before they all turned towards the voice and saw a fat woman, with dark hair and brown eyes that stood next to a merchant stand full with flowers of all kind while she have been waving at them happily and motioned for them to come.

"Bulda!" Anna called happily.

Bulda was a florist. She sold the most beautiful and colorful flowers in all of the country. And she was the one who treated Aiden as her own son.

They all walked towards the woman before Anna wrapped her in a hug. Elsa followed slowly with the help of the stick right behind Rapunzel and tried to hide as much as she can behind her.

"Where have ya been, lass!" Bulda said while she hugged Anna. "It's been a week since I last saw you! What were you up to ye big rebel?!" Bulda asked with both a playful and serious voice.

Anna laughed a bit, then, "You can't even imagine where we were, Bulda." She hinted playfully.

"It's really good to see you all and- Aiden! Come here youuu!" Bulda said before she wrapped Aiden in a crush hug.

Aiden felt his breath went out. "B-Bulda… hug… can't… breathe." He managed to say before Bulda snapped out of it and released him.

"Oh! Sorry, lad. I just missed my little boy so muuucchh!" She said while she pinched Aiden's cheek and made him recoil back and he blushed in embarrassment.

"Buldaaa…" Aiden whined in a childish manner while he rubbed his cheek.

Bulda placed her hands on her hips and glared playfully at him, "Oh don't you Bulda me! Your puffed up chest won't scare me boy!"

Anna and the others laughed as they saw Aiden blush harder.

Bulda turned to the others and Anna, "Well, have you heard the latest gossip? They said some of the guild members brought an injured princess here. And not just any princess, but an ice princess." She scoffed, "I'm telling you Anna, your mother had been definitely giving these people the wrong medicine and forced their brains to whack out of their empty heads- Oh!..." She stopped when she noticed Elsa who hid shyly behind Rapunzel. "And who's the cutie shy lass?" Bulda said while she pointed at behind Rapunzel and tried to take a better look from behind Rapunzel's shoulders.

They all smiled before Rapunzel moved away and revealed Elsa before she gave her a tiny push on the back and encourage her to move forward towards Bulda.

Anna giggled a bit, then, "Bulda, meet Princess Elsa of Arendelle."

Bulda's heart was strangled at the sight of Elsa's injured body and how the princess leaned on the stick for support, but she was amazed at the woman's strange eye color and white hair. She did not show her shock or sadness for the sake of encouraging Elsa not to be shy more than she already was. She softened her face as much as she could and smiled warmly at Elsa. "Well, hello there, little lass." She said with a gentle voice that all the others never heard from her before. "Elsa… What a beautiful name ye have there, lass." She approached her a bit but stopped when she saw Elsa's shoulders crunched up a bit in unease. She widened her smile and tried to look as friendly as ever. "My name is Bulda. An old cow that had been living in here for years but my milk didn't ran out or rotten just yet." She joked and made the others laugh awkwardly at her blunt statement, yet Elsa only stared, unsure on what to do or say.

_Did the cat eat your tongue, little lass?_ Bulda thought playfully, yet she didn't felt it was right to say it aloud.

"Why are ya wearing gloves, lass? We're in the middle of summer!" Bulda asked in confusion.

Elsa's eyes went a bit wide in fear and her body tensed.

Anna ignored Bulda's question and moved to help Elsa out. She placed a hand on Bulda's shoulder to somehow send her message to stop asking questions, then, "Elsa… Bulsa is a florist! She sells her unique flowers here in the market square. You can also say that she's the big oaf's adoptive mother." She said with a smirk while she pointed at Aiden.

Bulda gave Anna a skeptical look. But luckily, Bulda understood the message and turned her head back at Elsa with a smile, "Aye! I raised that calf into the brainless buffalo he is now." She said while she smacked Aiden on the head.

"I have you know, I'm smarter than you think!" Aiden argued with an angry pout.

"Of course you are." Bulda replied sarcastically while she patted his back.

"Bulda, how about we show Elsa your flowers!" Anna suggested excitedly.

"Of course! There's the flower stand over there. Just go do whatever you want with it." Bulda said with a chuckle while she pointed behind her with a thumb.

"C'mon, Elsa!" Anna said while she motioned for Elsa to follow.

* * *

Rapunzel and Anna ran to the stand and followed by Elsa, while the men stayed with Bulda.

When the girls went out of hearing reach, Bulda's face fell a bit to a sad expression.

"Poor thing. How do you think all this happened to her?" Bulda asked as she kept her eyes on Elsa's bandages and scars.

"Bulda, we were the one who brought her here." Flynn revealed.

"Really?!" Bulda asked in surprise. "Well, what did you do to her?!" Bulda asked angrily.

"It wasn't us, Bulda!" Flynn reasoned.

"Then do you know anything about all this?!" Bulda said while she pointed at Elsa.

"Bulda, she was being tortured horribly… by her own father. The king of Arendelle." Aiden said sadly.

"Oh my goodness!... Why?!" Bulda asked in shock as her eyes went wide at Elsa.

"We're not sure yet. But we're thinking it's because of her powers or something." Aiden explained.

"So… The powers are true?!... That ice that came out of the sanctuary-"

"Yes, Bulda. It was her when Anna's mother had to burn her wound." Flynn cut off.

"Oh my… I never believed in magic. But looks like I have already enough proof." Bulda noted.

"Tell me about it." Kristoff deadpanned.

"Though… doesn't the princess seem a bit… too shy and well… doesn't talk a lot." Bulda asked while she scratched her head in wonder.

"It's because she was six when she got locked away. It's been fifteen years since she probably last time saw the sun itself." Aiden informed.

Bulda gasped in shock and covered her mouth with her hand. "Six!?... Oh my god! You poor, poor girl! This is… It's so cruel! It's insane! Did the king lost his mind or anything?! She's his daughter!" Bulda exclaimed.

"We know, Bulda. We know." Aiden said sadly while they all kept their pitiful eyes on Elsa.

* * *

As the men and the fat woman kept gossiping, Anna and Rapunzel showed Elsa every single flower and educated her on the names and origins. Elsa gazed around at the flowers in amazement with an invisible grin. There were so many different shapes and colors of flowers, even the simplest like the pure white daisies astonished her.

"Hey, Elsa! Look at these!" Anna called while she pointed at a pile of orange Tulips. "They are called Tulips. They say they communicate a sentiment of perfect love. And this one…" She said while she pointed at a pink Lotus. "It's called a Lotus. It describes purity, beauty and grace." _Just like you, Elsa. _She thought as she smiled warmly at the princess who kept glancing around at the flowers.

"My favorite are the roses!" Rapunzel revealed while she pointed at the pile of crimson red roses, then both she and Anna turned to Elsa and saw how she was staring at something in astonishment that they never saw before.

"Elsa?" Anna called but Elsa kept her wide eyes fixated to the right. They followed Elsa's gaze and landed on a single, unique, rare, beautiful and fully bloomed ice-blue rose. When the two turned to look at Elsa again they gasped silently and their face lit up in the most radiant smile and their hearts fluttered in joy at the sight: Elsa was smiling brilliantly.

Elsa didn't acknowledge them. She approached the blue rose, her cyan eyes so full with pure awe and curiosity and for the first time, carefree. Her eyebrows lifted in amazement as she held her gloved finger right next to the flower and tried to touch it.

That was the first time everyone saw Elsa smiled. But the most exciting thing is that Elsa's joyful lip-parted smile reached her ears in admiration and glee. It was the most beautiful sight to see for the thieves.

"Oh my god, Rapunzel look at her!" Anna whispered in excitement. Her body shuddered and she bit her lip to prevent the both joyful and sympathetic tears from coming down.

"I know!" Rapunzel squealed with a whisper joyfully. They both didn't want to wake Elsa from her thoughts or daydream with the rose. They just stood and watched in silence for Elsa's behavior around the rose that stole all her attention.

"Look at that boys." Bulda started with a gentle voice as she saw how Elsa was smiling at the blue rose.

The men watched in amazement. Elsa just looked even more gorgeous and simply stunning with a smile.

_Wow…_ Aiden thought, speechless. He just never realized Elsa's beauty.

_She… She's smiling!_ Flynn thought happily.

"You see that, boys... The _single_ sight of a simple flower, can draw a smile on her face." She paused while she smiled warmly at Elsa. "What do you call this, boys?" She said while she pointed at the blissful Elsa.

The men kept staring at Elsa and tried to wonder what was Bulda talking about, yet Flynn answered. "Lack of knowledge about flowers?"

Bulda smacked his head before she chuckled and shook her head at their ignorance. "No… I call that Innocence."

The men finally turned at her with a quizzical and confused look.

Bulda rolled her eyes at them before she pointed at Elsa again. "Can't you see?... She'd been locked away when she was a child. Her father locked her, but that doesn't stop her body from growing to that of a full woman, and…" She trailed off. "He had locked her mind, heart and soul more than the body. She sure is a woman on the outside. But on the inside, she's still nothing more than a six year old child, ready to explore the new world that she never saw before. She's so full with a child's wonder, pure intentions and awe. She had missed so much, and she is very much more than willing to explore and discover her surroundings. But… she is afraid to do so. Right behind these eyes, boys…" Bulda's smile faded, "Lay a helpless little girl. Scared, alone and confused… The king had done more damage than you think. He took so much from her… and no bandage can fix that."

Aiden suddenly felt his heart crumble as he remembered holding her delicate, weak body. He remembered how she was so tiny and vulnerable in his arms. He rubbed his chest where her platinum head once rested. A sudden unfamiliar sense crept in his mind and he felt an immense desire to protect Elsa, and to help that little terrified girl inside of her to open up and explore the world she always wanted. He couldn't help but smile while he stared at her own smile that grew as if she felt the best feeling ever when she finally touched and brushed her gloved fingers on the blue rose.

"Such a shame…" Bulda started again. "If only everyone was _that_ Innocent... She'd been through hell, yet look at her… She was able to see the little things that makes life great. It's just brilliant."

Now that the men realized that Bulda's words were more than right, their confusion on why really Elsa was locked away grew.

_Why does she keep saying that she sinned then? _Flynn thought. "But Bulda," He started. "When we were inside, she told us that she deserved to be locked away and that she somehow did something… really bad."

Bulda scoffed sarcastically, "I never knew you boys were _that_ stupid… Think about it. You can convince a six year old child that he can fly. So I don't think it was hard for the king to convince her that she's a bad person?" She paused then looked back at Elsa with a sorrowful look. "Whatever he planted in her child mind, she grew up in fifteen years believing it's true." She finished before she walked towards the girl and left the men speechless.

* * *

Anna and Rapunzel watched in amazement as Elsa kept hovering her hand around the blue rose and her face was full with glee. They just wondered what was Elsa thinking of all that time by just looking at a rose. But they did suppose it's because Elsa definitely never saw a flower, and especially a blue rose.

_She just looks so happy!_ Rapunzel thought joyfully. _If only Aphrodite could see this._

_Maybe blue is her favorite color?_ Anna wondered and tried to get to know what Elsa's interests are.

A gentle hand on her shoulder snapped Anna from her thoughts and she turned her head to see Bulda smiling warmly at her. "Looks like our princess is in love." Bulda joked while she pointed at Elsa who was still in her own world with the rose.

Anna giggled silently, "Yeah..." She said while she watched Elsa again with a fond smile.

Bulda moved slowly next to Elsa, "Do you like it, lass?" She asked.

Elsa jumped in surprise and snapped out of her thoughts. She blinked at Bulda nervously before the question finally went in her mind. Elsa blushed a bit and nodded shyly with a tiny grin, her eyes not leaving the flower.

"Here," Bulda said before she grabbed the blue rose's pot and held it up for Elsa.

_Don't say 'Hold it.' Don't say 'Hold it.'!_ Anna thought worriedly.

"You can have it then. It's yours." Bulda said with the most reassuring smile and Anna exhaled in utter relief.

Elsa's eyes widened a bit in confusion. She looked over at Anna and Rapunzel as if she wanted to take their permission, then back at Bulda before she pointed an unsure finger at herself.

Bulda only nodded happily in confirmation that she was indeed giving the flower to Elsa and kept the rose held up.

Elsa's face drew a tiny goofy smile before she took the pot that held the rose with both her gloved hands shyly. "Than… Thank you." She whispered while she stared at the rose in her hands happily.

Bulda chuckled silently at Elsa's shyness and innocence. "Be sure to water it every day morning." Bulda instructed.

Elsa wasn't sure she'll wake up alive tomorrow but she nodded slowly anyway.

Anna and Rapunzel walked towards Elsa and Bulda before Anna wrapped Bulda in a hug and whispered in her ear, "Thank you."

Bulda patted Anna's back and shook her head. "Don't mention it, lass. Just keep her happy." She whispered back. "She deserves a lot better than a flower after what she'd been through."

Anna bit her lip and forced her tears not to come down at Bulda's words before she nodded.

_I will._ Anna vowed.

They broke from the hug and turned to Elsa. "Okay, Elsa. Let's continue through town. You still have a lot of things to see." Anna said happily.

The men and Rapunzel finally approached them. "Alrighty now! Shall we continue then?" Rapunzel asked happily and received a nod from everyone, including Elsa.

As they all walked away from Bulda, all the thieves didn't notice Elsa turned a bit and waved goodbye shyly at Bulda.

Bulda quickly waved gleefully back and felt joyful tears forming at the corner of her eyes. _Oh child… It's always the innocents who suffer the most._

* * *

**I greatly recommend that you listen to : Innocence – Avril Lavigne**

**It fits the chapter more than perfectly. And it describes Elsa's thoughts on all this. **

**Reviewww! :D Please please.**

**PLUS ! I have another COVER! Just go to the link in my profile description :D**

**Next Chap (as Chapter : Innocence is longggg) : Innocence – Part II**


	18. Innocence - Part II

**This Chapter made me cry. Will you be crying? Tell me in a review. :')**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XVI : Innocence – Part II

As they walked around the fort, Elsa kept smiling a little at the flower in her hands while Anna was talking something about taking Elsa to the waterfalls outside the fort on the east side of the forest.

When Elsa lifted her head to glance around where they were going, her eyes fell on something that smashed the most disgusted, shocked and confused look on her face.

Rapunzel was walking next to Elsa when she noticed Elsa's face and her eyes widened. "Elsa, what's wrong?" She asked in worry.

When the others heard Rapunzel's question, they quickly turned to look at Elsa in worry too.

Elsa only blinked as she stared at the most strange thing she ever saw. "Wh-… What are they doing?!" She asked in shock.

The others' confusion grew. They followed Elsa's line of view and their eyes shot wider than hers when they landed on a couple having their moment of passion and love.

Aiden and Anna tried to stiffen their laughs but failed miserably. Rapunzel and Flynn went speechless as they had no idea what to answer. Kristoff just covered his mouth and quickly stopped himself from laughing.

"U-Uhhh…" Rapunzel muttered awkwardly and exchanged worried looks with Flynn. "They, they… They are kissing Elsa." She said before she felt her face turn red.

"Why do they do that?" Elsa asked innocently, her eyes never left the couple.

Anna and Aiden's laugh only grew louder and Rapunzel felt more embarrassed. She felt as if Elsa was mocking her but when she saw how Elsa waited for an answer with confused and innocent eyes, she felt even more awkward. "Uhm, they just show their love, Elsa. They l-love each other so they d-do… _That_… so they can show how much they love each other." She said while she pointed at the couple with her chin.

"With their mouth?!" Elsa asked again as she stared at the couple while half her upper lip lifted in disgust. "Aren't there any other way?"

Rapunzel blushed at that question so hard she felt she would explode. Anna's tears ran down her cheeks uncontrollably as she laughed aloud. "T-Trust me… Elsa… T-There are…" Anna tried to speak while she clutched her stomach from the laughter pain. "So many other… W-ways to show your love!" She said and forced Aiden to lean on her shoulder as he laughed his guts out. "So many more… and more…and mo-" Anna was saying when Rapunzel's hand came to her mouth and stopped her midsentence.

"OKAYYYYY! I think that's enough!" Rapunzel said awkwardly and totally embarrassed. "I-I-uh… I just don't know, Elsa." Rapunzel lied.

Anna shoved Rapunzel's hand off her face and smirked at her evilly while she placed her hands on her hips, "Oh yeah!... Then why don't you tell Elsa how you and Flynn do it!" Anna teased.

Rapunzel gasped so loud that made Anna jump back in surprise and with a laugh. "You were spying on us!?" Rapunzel asked totally in shock and bemusement.

"It's what thieves do!" Anna reasoned with a laugh.

"ANNA!" Rapunzel yelled while her face turned redder than a tomato. "Seriously?!"

"Okay, okay!" Anna said while she raised her hands in defense and laughed even more. "Geesh, we were just looking for you when we saw you do… that!" Anna said while she pointed at the couples.

"WE?!" Rapunzel and Flynn asked in unison.

"Me and Aiden… and several others." Anna said while she clasped her hands behind her back, looked around and avoided Rapunzel and Flynn's face as if she had nothing to do with it.

"Oh my god! I'm… I'm gonna KILL YOU!" Rapunzel said before she ran towards Anna to strangle her, but Anna only ran away and laughed playfully in glee as Rapunzel chased her around in rage.

Elsa watched the girls in confusion while she tilted her head a bit as they ran around. Anna was laughing her eyes out and Rapunzel was sending her death glares. "Come here Anna! Don't you want… a big… warm… HUG!?" Rapunzel managed to ask with a smirk as she panted while she spread her arms wide for a hug.

"No I'm fine! I have Bulda to cover that for me!" Anna replied. While she ran, an idea crossed her mind and her smirk reached her ears. She quickly turned her track and ran as fast as she can towards the couple. "Move away! Crazy lady coming through!" She yelled playfully.

The couple gasped and parted their lips as they saw Anna ran between them followed by Rapunzel. "Sorry, guys!... But you're causing a scene here in front of the children!" Anna called while she smiled back apologetically at the couple.

Anna finally lost her breath and hid behind Kristoff, and placed him between her and Rapunzel so the raging blondy couldn't reach her.

Flynn and Aiden stood next to each other while they both laughed with each other at the girls. "Do you think I should stop her?" Flynn asked playfully while he chuckled.

Aiden scoffed before he shook his head in amusement at the girls' antics. "I think you do, if you love your girlfriend. Cause I have a feeling those couples are about to chase both of Anna and Rapunzel." He said while he pointed at the couples that were glaring at Anna and Rapunzel for breaking their beautiful moment.

Flynn and Aiden laughed with each other before Flynn quickly moved and picked Rapunzel up on his shoulder. "PUT ME DOWN, FLYNN! I have to teach her some manners!" Rapunzel yelled while she drummed her boyfriend's back.

"Alright blondy, just relax! She was just joking!" Flynn reasoned. _I hope so._

"Yeahhh, Punzie! I was just _joookiiinngg!_" Anna teased from behind Kristoff's back.

Rapunzel huffed her hair away from her face in annoyance and defeat since Flynn wasn't going to put her down until she would relax. "Fine." She said grumpily.

"That's better." Flynn said before he settled her down and kissed her forehead.

Rapunzel's glare turned to a smile as she eyed her boyfriend fondly, before they all were surprised when Elsa's voice came out.

"I'm sorry." Elsa said ashamed. Her voice still was a bit throaty from past screams. She lowered her head and avoided Rapunzel's eyes.

Everyone just stopped laughing.

"What?" Rapunzel asked unsure on why Elsa was apologizing.

"If I didn't ask you, you wouldn't have went all… angry." Elsa explained while she hugged the rose pot closer to her chest.

"Oh, Elsa… No… No, no, no it wasn't your fault. We were just having fun, that's all." Rapunzel said while she moved towards Elsa and leaned down to look up at her face and realized that Elsa had a small sad pout on her face and her eyes were on the rose.

"Elsa, it's not your fault at all!" Anna said before she ran to stand right next to Elsa. "I was the one who pushed Rapunzel, not you. You just asked a question, it's not bad at all! In fact, it's great that you asked!" Anna said with a reassuring voice.

Elsa lifted her eyes from the rose and to Rapunzel's. Ashamed and apologetic cyan eyes met soothing green ones. "Don't worry, Elsa." Rapunzel said, "And-" She giggled a bit, "Let me hold that for you, cause you're getting dirt all over your dress." She said while she pointed on the pot that Elsa was hugging as if it was a teddy bear.

Elsa's eyes widened a bit and she looked down on her dress to see a dirt stain. "Oh…" She said with a low voice.

"It's okay, we'll change it later." Anna said while she giggled.

"Give it here. Don't worry it will be in safe hands. Plus, you won't be able to walk while holding both the pot and the stick." Rapunzel said while she held her hands up and motioned for Elsa to give her the rose pot.

Elsa hesitated a bit. She looked at the pot then at Rapunzel. "O-… Okay." She finally said with a tiny sigh before she lent her the pot.

Rapunzel took it gingerly with a smile, then turned at the others. "Okay, then. Move on everyone." She said with a happy voice.

* * *

While they continued their walk through town, Elsa was looking around at the activities that the people were doing. She saw children running and laughing in glee while holding wooden swords and playing fight. She turned her head the other way to see an old man was sitting at a wooden bench and surrounded by a great amount of birds. She wondered how he was able to do that. She supposed it's because of the tiny grains he was throwing to them.

A sudden sound of a wolf-whistle came from her right. Elsa made the mistake and turned her head slowly and saw four young men were looking at her with lustful grins. One of them made a wolf howl sound at her. Elsa turned at Anna and the others and she saw how they were totally ignoring them. Another one joined with the howl and Elsa couldn't help but feel utterly ashamed as the fear inside of her began to rise. They were mocking her. Calling for her as if she was some kind of an animal as they howled at her.

_S-stop it… I'm… I'm not a wolf!... not a beast!_ She thought while her eyes formed tears. She did not quite understand that the howls and whistles were a disturbing, low-mannered way to show their interests in her. She quickly looked away. _But I am… I _am_ a beast! I _am_ a monster!_

Elsa turned to the thieves and saw that they weren't quite hearing the men. They were already locked in a conversation about where to take Elsa next. She turned her head again to the men, her eyes full with shame and worry. Then, when her eyes met one of the men's, she quickly gasped, lowered her head and clutched to the stick in fear as she started to hear what they were saying.

"Looks like she likes you, Fred. She's looking at you." One of the men said while he punched his friend on the back.

"Yeah! She's a beauty that one!" Fred replied while he licked his lips in anticipation.

"I think that's the wounded princess, Herk. The one they rumored about." Another said while he pointed at Elsa injuries.

"Who cares, Peter. Princess or not… I wonder how she's in bed." Herk said before the men erupted in laughter.

Elsa's shoulders lifted with every statement she was able to hear.

"White hair and a stick, though… Hah, she reminds me of grandma!" Peter mocked and sent another wave of annoying laughter to Elsa's ears.

"Be careful, my friend. They said she can freeze your cock off!" Fred reminded mockingly.

"Pshh! They just say that so they could protect her. They don't want anyone near her." The last man said.

"She's too skinny, though. Hey Roger! Ye think we can help her add some meat on these breasts?" Herk asked.

"I think I can manage that." The last man, Roger, replied. Before they all started howling again to grab Elsa's attention.

Anna heard Elsa's tiny whimper and she quickly turned back to look at Elsa. When she did, her eyes shot wide as she saw how Elsa's eyes were closed and she gripped the stick firmly while tears streamed down her face. "Elsa, what's wrong?!" She asked worried after she ran next to her side.

Elsa shook her head quickly. "N-Nothing." She said with a sob.

The others ran next to the sisters' side. "Elsa, are you okay?!" Rapunzel asked utterly worried. "Is there any pain?! Are you feeling well?!"

"Anna, I told you she needed to rest!" Aiden said, concern overwhelmed his face.

"Elsa, just tell us. We'll help you." Anna promised.

Elsa finally lifted her head a bit and wiped her tears. "It's just…" She rolled her lips inside her mouth in anxiety and turned her head slowly and nervously towards the men. "T-They are calling me… a beast." She said with a low, scared voice. _And they are right._

Another howl and a wolf-whistle was heard and the thieves followed Elsa's gaze and when they saw the men, they all glared at them in annoyance and irritation, before Anna turned at Elsa again and realized the words that Elsa just said. "Oh! You think they are callin-… Oh, no no no!" Anna said before she giggled a bit. "Elsa… They are not calling you a beast!" She reassured. "You can say that it's just some kind of a stupid, crappy way of… well… Uhm, saying that you're beautiful." She looked at Elsa right in the eyes. "But here me out. You should ignore them whenever you hear these bastards. Cause if you don't, they'll keep it up." Anna instructed the princess who clearly did not know the 'Street safety rules'. She knew Elsa didn't quite understand half of what the men meant by all their disturbing words. She knew that Elsa thought that they were mocking her, not that they were actually hitting on her. She placed a soothing hand on Elsa's shoulder and forgot about Elsa's reaction who quickly tensed at the touch. Anna quickly withdrew her hand and smiled apologetically. "Sorry." She said.

"Hey, you fuckin bastards! If you're so desperate, how about you go fuck each other!?" Rapunzel suddenly yelled in both rage and sarcasm while she pointed at the men.

"Rapunzel!" Anna scolded while she held back her laugh.

Rapunzel only groaned in frustration and crossed her arms in irritation. She was angry at these buffoons that she just couldn't keep her mouth shut.

Aiden gripped Rapunzel's shoulder firmly and tried to hide his fuming mind with a smile. "Don't worry, Rapunzel. Just take Elsa somewhere else." He said before he turned to Flynn and Kristoff. "Me and the boys have some… _business_ to take care of." He said with a thick voice, yet Rapunzel and the sisters didn't quite catch the angry tone in it, but both Kristoff and Flynn did, so they smirked and gave him an affirmation nod.

Rapunzel only nodded, "Okay." She said confused, before she turned to Elsa and Anna. "Come on, you two." She said before she helped Anna to walk the scared and ashamed Elsa away.

Aiden turned to his friends with the most serious face, before they all turned to the laughing young men.

"And as for you guys…" Flynn said and grabbed the men's attention, whom smiles and laughter quickly faded when they saw Flynn and the others hit theirs hand with their other knuckles threateningly.

_Time to teach some wolves how to really howl._ Aiden thought.

* * *

"Anna! Punzie!" A little girl's voice called happily.

The women turned right before a little girl with light brown short hair, fair skin and brown eyes, jumped at Anna and wrapped her in a hug.

Anna stumbled backwards with a laugh but managed to steady herself before she fell. "Zoey!" She exclaimed, surprised.

"Come play with me, Anna!" Zoey said while she squished her cheek harder on Anna's waist.

Anna laughed before she broke the hug and knelt so that her eyes met Zoey's height. "Maybe later, sweety." Anna said with a gentle voice. "We have guests."

"Aaawwhh!" Zoey whined, but only then did she notice Elsa, so her eyes shot wide. "Who's this?!" She asked happily, amazed at Elsa's hair and eyes. But just when the smile appeared, it faded when she saw the injuries and bandages. "Is she okay?!" She asked while she narrowed her brown curious eyes at Elsa's body.

"Zoey, this is Elsa. Our new friend!" Anna answered happily. "She'll be staying with us from now on."

And before Zoey could ask anything wrong that could hurt Elsa, Anna tapped the girl's shoulder and made her turn before she pulled her close and gently whispered in her ears. "Bad men were mean to her and she's a bit scared. So be nice, okay sweety?"

Zoey looked at Anna and mouthed 'Oh' before she turned to Elsa with a wide grin. "Hi Elsa! My name is Zoey! I'm Anna, Rapunzel, Aiden and Flynn's friend!" She said happily as she approached Elsa and counted the names on her fingers.

Anna and Rapunzel chuckled at the little girl's words. And they were impressed since Elsa didn't actually tense or backed away when Zoey was only standing three feet away from her. But they supposed since little Zoey didn't quite look intimidating, of course, cause her height reached Elsa's waist.

"You're pretty!... Oh! I'm 8 by the way. And you?" Zoey asked innocently.

Elsa's eyes grew a bit wide at the question and she bit her lip in nervousness, since she still didn't know how old she really was. "Uh…"

"She's my age." Rapunzel quickly said to help Elsa out. "About twenty-one."

Elsa's eyes shot wide and her jaw went slack. _Twenty one!?... I'm twenty one!? _Elsa thought shocked.

Zoey looked back up at Elsa who was clearly lost in her own thoughts, and she couldn't help but stare at how much Elsa's hair was bright and long, even with a braid. "I like your hair! It's so long and unique." She said happily while she twirled a lock of her own hair around her finger.

Elsa snapped out of her thoughts and blinked at the little girl in front of her in confusion.

_Your hair is the sign of the coldness of your heart, Monster._

The king's words suddenly echoed in Elsa's mind and she lost focus on the girl in front of her as the king's regal, calm voice in her head sent a shiver down her spine.

"Mine is boring brown… Plus, your… Your eyes are really, really beautiful too." Zoey said shyly as she stared at the ground while she drew a circle in the dirt with her foot and hid her hands behind her back.

_Look at your eyes! They are unnatural. Because these are the demon's eyes. Not a Human's._

Zoey stared at Elsa in confusion and she tilted her head to the side in wonder. "You don't talk much."

"_Zoeyyy._" Anna scolded with a whisper.

"Oh! Right. Sorry…" Zoey said as she winced awkwardly at her blunt statement. She turned back at Elsa and smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Miss Elsa." She said while she lowered her head in shame and looked at Elsa with puppy eyes.

"Oh! That reminds me… By the way, Zoey. I have a surprise for youuuu." Anna said happily while she smirked at the little girl.

"Really?!" Zoey asked in excitement.

"Uh-huh! Guess what… Miss Elsa here is actually a princess." Anna informed.

Zoey gasped in joy and she quickly turned her head to Elsa. "You're a princess?!" Zoey asked fascinated while she pointed a finger at Elsa.

_No. I'm not._ Elsa thought, yet she felt the little girl's excitement and she didn't quite wanted to fade that away by saying this aloud.

"So you're like… Live in a castle with huge rooms and colorful gardens with birdies flying around? And you can have a lot of chocolate? And there are a lot of servants?! And-and you like… Have pretty dresses, you help people and everyone loves you?!" Zoey showered Elsa with questions and didn't quite notice Elsa's cringe at every question.

_No. I live in a cage and I see blood, pain and chains… and I _hurt_ people that is why everyone hates me. _Elsa thought sorrowfully.

"What are you doing here then? Castles are much more fun than here!" Zoey said enthusiastically.

Elsa's face showed fear and she only shook her head in disagreement.

Zoey raised one eyebrow in confusion, "What? Aren't castles supposed to be fun?" Zoey asked while she shrugged her shoulders.

Before Zoey could push Elsa more, Anna placed a hand on the little girl's shoulder to make her stop. "Zoey…" Anna said with a whisper.

Luckily, Zoey saw how Anna was looking at her and she understood that Elsa didn't want to talk about castles for the moment... Or the past itself.

Zoey frowned in confusion. She didn't understand why Elsa was so… reserved. Since that's how her mind saw it at least.

Anna looked at Elsa who was staring at the ground in unease. Then, an idea came to her and her face lit up. She quickly turned to Zoey whom was still looking at Elsa quizzically. "What's your favorite season, Zoey?" Anna asked while she made sure Elsa could hear.

Rapunzel smiled at Anna since she realized what the redhead was trying to do.

Zoey's face turned happy and excited again. "Ouh! I know, I know!" Zoey said excitedly while she waved her hand in the air. "Winter!" She shouted happily with a tiny pounce.

Anna noticed how Elsa's eyes widened. She smiled since now she was sure Elsa was hearing, so she continued. "And why is it your favorite season?" She asked Zoey.

"Because there is snow! And we love the snow!" Zoey exclaimed happily.

Elsa's mind just rolled in utter bewilderment. "Snow?!" She asked as she looked at the little girl in confusion. "Why do you love the snow?!… Snow is dangerous! It's cold! A-And nobody likes the cold!" Elsa asked Zoey in disbelief while her eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"No, silly! Snow isn't dangerous. Snow is beautiful! It's really fun! You can make snowman, snow angels and the best thing, you can have snowball fights!... Summer is boring! Mud fights are annoying and you get dirt all over your clothes." Zoey replied while she waved her hands at her clothes.

"B-But… I don't understand! The cold snow is bad! It… It hurts people! It's a curse! W-Winter is the devil's work!" Elsa said again while she looked in fright at her gloved hands.

Zoey giggled a bit. "You're funny!... I like you."

_Oh God, Elsa. _Anna thought sadly at the anxious princess.

Elsa started shaking her head strongly. "No, no, no this is wrong! The cold is dangerous! It was always dangerous! It's unsafe a-and people die from the cold! How can… the cold be a good thing?!"

_They don't understand how dangerous it is! _Elsa little girl reminded her so much of her baby energetic sister, Anna. Just by looking at Zoey, she felt she could have hurt her by mistake just like the ballroom accident, so she took a step back and grasped firmly to the stick.

Zoey didn't understand why Elsa hated the winter that much. She just stared at her in uncertainty.

Anna and Rapunzel exchanged worried looks. They knew Elsa was afraid of her powers. They supposed that it's the least Elsa could do since she lived in the cellar all these years, and was trained horribly and harshly to conceal them. Anna knew she had one last chance to relief Elsa a bit from that fear of her powers. She turned her head to Zoey and smiled at her. "Zoey, why is the cold a good thing?" She said with a loud voice and made sure Elsa could hear again.

Zoey's face lit up radiantly and she clapped her hands since she knew what Anna was going to say.

Anna continued, "Because without the cold, there wouldn't be any...?!" Anna trailed off playfully and motioned for Zoey to continue their special mantra.

"_Warm_ hugs!" Zoey said while she pounced at Anna and wrapped her in a hug.

"And do you know that Elsa here can make snow with magic?!" Anna asked teasingly while she hugged her little friend.

Zoey gasped excitedly, quickly broke from the hug and turned to Elsa. "Really?! That is _sooo_ cool! Can… Can you show me?!" She asked with eyes full with awe.

Elsa quickly shook her head. "N-No… N-No I can't!" She said before she hid one hand behind her back while the other kept firm on the stick. "Please… Please, I can't!" Elsa insisted.

But Zoey was stubborn enough and did not notice Elsa's fear creeping out her whole body. She approached Elsa before Anna could catch her and grabbed Elsa's gloved hand, "But Why-"

Elsa quickly recoiled roughly, "NO! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Elsa yelled and whipped her hand away before she gripped the stick and turned her back to the little girl. Her shoulders lifted like always and her back hunched on the stick a bit. "P-Please… I… I just don't wanna h-hurt you." She whispered while tears streamed down her cheeks.

Zoey stared completely confused and worried. "I-I'm sorry! I was just… Did I do something wrong?!" Zoey asked when she turned at Anna and Rapunzel with pleading eyes.

Anna went to comfort Elsa while Rapunzel went to Zoey and knelt next to the scared girl, before she smiled at her soothingly. "No, sweet. Elsa is just… afraid. She thinks that the snow she makes is bad." She whispered in the girl's ear. _It did kind of destroyed the sanctuary._ _But she didn't mean it. She was just afrai-… Wait!... Afraid? Ice? Bad?_ Rapunzel gasped aloud as the idea cleared in her mind.

Meantime, Anna was trying her best to calm Elsa down. "Elsa, please listen to me. You won't hurt anyone. Because… You. Are not. A monster." She said sternly in determination.

"A-Anna…" Elsa whispered her voice quivered at the name she was terrified to pronounce in years. She felt her heart ripped apart at the memory of her little joyful sister.

Anna's eyes widened since it's the first time Elsa called her or even said her name. But she wasn't sure if Elsa was even talking to _her_… or herself.

"I… just don't wanna h-hurt anyone, A-Anna. She-… She's so young!" Elsa whispered through her sobs. _She reminds me of Anna! My sister!... My little baby sister that I hurt! _She thought before she let out another sob.

Anna's face softened and her sympathetic smile reached her ears. Elsa _really_ was talking to her. And for the first time, she really actually acknowledged someone by his name.

"You d-don't understand, Anna… Y-you don't understand what my curse did!" Elsa said her voice so full with regret, shame and sorrow.

_If you could only tell us! If you could only allow that burden off your chest and tell someone!_ Anna thought sadly._ I can't just ask her! I don't know what she'll do if I did!_

_I can't! I just can't! You'll kill me the moment you know! _Elsa thought utterly frightened.

Anna bit her lip in nervousness and inhaled deeply and just when she was about to ask, Rapunzel's gasp was heard.

The two women turned to face the blondy and the little girl. Rapunzel quickly grabbed both Zoey and Anna's wrists and brought them close so she could whisper to them what she discovered.

Elsa only lowered her head and turned away while she clutched the stick with one hand and hugged herself with her other arm.

"Rapunzel, what's wrong?" Anna asked with a low and angry voice, since she had to leave Elsa a bit so she can hear what Rapunzel wanted to say so badly.

"Okay Anna, listen up. Do you remember what happened at the sanctuary when Elsa woke up?" Rapunzel asked with a whisper.

"Uhm… Yeah, no need to remind me." Anna asked a bit annoyed.

"And do you remember how terrified she was?" Rapunzel asked again.

"Rapunzel, are you taunting me here? Cause it's annoying! Of course I remember how terrified she was." Anna said irritated.

"No, no! Just listen to me! Didn't you see how every time she gets scared… Oh I don't know, but everything turn to ice!" Rapunzel informed.

"Why? What happened at the sanctuary?" Zoey asked.

"It's a long story, dear." Anna said while she smiled and stroked Zoey's hair, then turned to Rapunzel with a questioning look.

"Even when she's anxious!" Rapunzel continued. "Do you remember when Olly, Sally and the others ran to her?... And how the room temperature dropped like HUGE!... A-And don't make me remind you what we saw back at the cellar."

"I don't think I'm getting where you're going there Rapunzel! Just say it already!" Anna demanded.

"Well here's the thing. Since the ice only appears wildly ONLY when she is scared, then it means that _Fear_ force the ice to loosen up badly or dangerously!" Rapunzel explained happily since she was proud of her analyses.

"So what you're saying is… That there is a way she could create the ice and snow safely?" Anna wondered.

"Well, yeah there should be! I mean come on, everything has both good and bad side. Danger and Beauty, right?" Rapunzel said.

"Rapunzel… If _she_ doesn't know how… Than how are we going to know how to tame this power?" Anna asked a bit worried.

"Well, we can start by letting her forget about that nasty past, and build her trust." Rapunzel suggested.

Anna suddenly gasped, jumped at Rapunzel and grabbed her head with her hands before she kissed her forehead. "You're a genius! Since when you became that smart!?" Anna asked sarcastically.

Rapunzel puffed up her chest proudly and lifted her chin. "I've been working on it, lately."

"With smolder boy?" Anna teased with a smirk.

Rapunzel's smile quickly turned to a frown. "Don't start this." Rapunzel said with the most serious tone.

Anna laughed at her friend's face. And right before they could turn to Elsa, Zoey's voice came out. "Wait!"

Anna and Rapunzel looked at her quizzically. "What is it?" Anna asked.

"You said Elsa is afraid right?" Zoey asked innocently.

"Well, yeah." Rapunzel confirmed. "Isn't it obvious?"

"No it's not that! What I mean is… She needs to calm down, right? So how about we take Princess Elsa to… you know, our 'favorite spot'! I'm sure she'll be happy when she sees it. It _is_ really calming anyway." Zoey recommended happily.

Anna and Rapunzel's face lit up. "Oh my god, how did I forget about that! This is perfect! It's the best thing for her, now!" Anna exclaimed.

"And right on time! Look!" Zoey said while she pointed at the blue sky that was starting to transform into a yellow-orange hue signaling the approach of dawn.

"Well, what are we waiting for?!" Anna asked happily.

They all turned to Elsa who was now staring at them in nervousness.

"Elsa, we need to show you something." Anna said with a gentle voice.

As the four girls started to walk out of town, Rapunzel looked around in wonder. "By the way… Where is Flynn and the others?"

* * *

Peter gasped for air when his soaked head was lifted off roughly from a barrel of water. "If you ever try to do anything to those three women you saw, you'll regret you were even born!" Flynn intimidated with the most serious and stern voice he could muster.

"No… No, no! I s-swear! I won't I won't!" Peter said quickly as he stared at Flynn in fear, his hair sticky on his face from the water he was shoved in.

"Good." Flynn said before he shoved the man to the ground.

Kristoff had Roger pinned to the wall as he held a dagger to his throat. "Do you like women with redheads?" He threaten with an intimidating and serious face.

"N-No…" Roger said while his voice quivered like a chiwawa in fear.

"NO?! So you're saying girls with strawberry blonde hair aren't beautiful!?" Kristoff asked and totally acted that he was in rage.

"WHAT!? N-No! I-I-I didn't mean it like that!... U-Uhm, Y-Yes of course they are b-beautiful!" Peter said while he gulped as he felt the dagger squeezed harder to his throat.

"So are you going to hit on Anna or any other girl again!?" Kristoff asked while he glared at the man.

"N-No! I swear!" Roger vowed while he held his hand in defeat.

"Good." Kristoff said before he let go of the man who quickly scurried and stumbled away.

Meanwhile…

"PLEAAAASE! LIFT ME UP! LIFT ME UP!" Fred shrieked in terror as his face was inches above a pot of flaming charcoal.

"I can't heaaaarrr youuuuu!" Aiden sing-songed while he held both Fred and Herk's faces above the inferno and a smirk splattered his face.

"W-W-WE WON'T DO IT AGAIN! WE FUCKIN SWEAR!" Herk cried as he felt his sweat overwhelmed his face from the heat and he felt dizzy when a drop of sweat dropped to the fire and erupted a hiss.

"So tell me again… Are you going to howl at the princess like assholes next time ya see her?" Aiden asked his voice suddenly turned utterly intimidating and terrifyingly stern and serious.

"NONONONONO!..." Both Herk and Fred shouted in unison, incredibly fast.

"JUST LIFT US UP ALREADY! PLEASE!" Herk begged.

"Good." He said before he released both men and they quickly rushed away as they stumbled and lost balance on each other ridiculously.

"You think they learned their lesson?" Flynn said while he and Kristoff walked to the side of Aiden and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Aiden smirked, "I think they did."

* * *

"Okay, Elsa." Anna said while she looked up ahead. "It's just right up this hill." She said before she looked at the sky who now already showed the colors of orange, blue and yellow and they all blended together and gave the sky a pink hue.

Zoey already beat them to the top of the hill. "Come on, Elsa!" She called excitedly as something behind her was illuminating the little girl's back and left her face shadowed. Yet it also left the huge hill's shadow and shade on them.

"And I think you need help again, Elsa, Okay?" Rapunzel reminded. "The hill is a bit rough, so _please_, Elsa. We are just gonna help you." She said making sure she said the word 'Please' in a clear and pleading voice.

Elsa was very nervous. She did not know where they were taking her, but they were already out of town and now climbing a hill? Just great. She bit her lip in unease as she thought Rapunzel's words through. She looked at Rapunzel and Anna with worried eyes, before she nodded slowly.

Anna and Rapunzel smiled widely before each of them took a side of Elsa. "Okay, ready?" Anna asked.

Elsa gulped nervously then nodded again as she watched their warm hands touched her cold elbows.

Just when their hands contacted Elsa's elbows, both Rapunzel and Anna felt Elsa tensed all over again. "Relax, Elsa. We're here for you. We're here to help you and… We will never. EVER. Hurt you." Anna assured with a gentle, soothing smile and a soft voice.

Elsa inhaled and exhaled slowly and tried to allow herself not to tense at their touch. "O-Okay." She breathed.

Anna and Rapunzel nodded to each other before they started helping Elsa walk up the hill carefully. Elsa winced at her movements since this time she had to use more muscles and her body ached and pained so hard that she started hyperventilating.

Half way up, they had to stop to give Elsa a break but after a moment, she nodded and reassured them that she was ready to continue.

Just before they could reach the top, Zoey lifted her hands and stopped them with her voice. "Wait, wait! Not now." She said before she turned to the light and lifted a finger at them to tell them to come on cue. "Okaayyy… Just a little bit moreee…" Zoey muttered.

Elsa looked quizzically at the girl but Anna and Rapunzel already knew what the girl wanted.

"Okay, now!" Zoey called and motioned for them to come quick.

When they finally reached the top of the hill. Elsa froze entirely. Her eyes were shot wide and her jaw just dropped as she stared at the elegant miracle in front of her that literally stole her breath.

There, right in front of her, the scene was incredibly unbelievable. Elsa's eyes just saw her first and real sunset since forever. It was far away but she was clearly able to see every detail. The sun was slowly going down the horizon. As it went down, the burning light of the sun got dull and it looked like a huge disc of orange and yellow. The sun's orange rays were mingling with the light blue color of the sky and it produced a vast contrast of different colors. It was like watching a screen slowly changing colors. The scene was truly beautiful. The dull light of the sun somehow illuminated everything in a way she had never seen before. Everything was almost still, and the effect of the light made the scene look like one in a painting… The miraculous painting of God's work. The waves of the sea also seemed to have changed their color to a dull mixture of yellow and orange. The water was sparkling like diamonds in the light. And the sun's reflection was splattered all over the waters. The sun was gradually going down. It was all just mesmerizing. The golden light was slowly swallowed up by the land around her while the last traces of light dipped over the hill and over casted the trees below the pleasant view in a solemn landscape of shadows. It seemed almost as if the day were at rest... Oddly peaceful and calm.

Elsa's skin now had an orange-yellow hue as the sun rays hit it. The others could clearly see the reflection of the sunset on Elsa's eyes. But they all smiled warmly and joyfully when they saw what was next.

Elsa's tears suddenly streamed down her cheeks as she stared at the most beautiful thing she ever saw. Her mouth opened in a huge, wide smile and revealed a perfect row of white teeth. Her hand slowly lifted as she tried to imagine herself catching the sun, and begged it not to sink deeper into the horizon. The light illuminating between her fingers as she held her hand up. She needed it. She needed the sun rays of hope to wrap her body into a warm embrace. She didn't know why she was crying. These are new types of tears. Tears of joy, tears of relief. Yet she welcomed them in complete appreciation.

What came next, astonished Anna's face and overwhelmed it with tears. She clutched the vest on her chest when she felt her heart raced in delight and she suddenly heard it. A beautiful angelic, lighthearted laughter of pure innocence and joy.

Elsa started laughing gleefully at the flawless scene in front of her. She couldn't help but wonder on how God was capable of creating something like this. She just couldn't and wouldn't get bored of it. Every pain, agony, misery, anxiety, guilt and fear… Her father and Mad, the cellar, the chains, the blood and every single idea that had been tormenting her for the past fifteen years such as bad memories and thoughts were _vanished_ to oblivion, on that moment… Just gone, discharged from her body, absorbed by the sun. She felt nothing but wholesome, pure bliss.

Rapunzel came right next to Anna, who was already crying herself in joy, and wrapped her from the side in a hug, and that didn't stop Zoey from joining the hug. One more woman was left to complete the hug, but they wanted her to absorb every single bit of happiness from the sunset, so they decided not to interrupt her first peaceful and jubilant moment.

Was it real? This feeling of utter happiness and free of sorrow? Could it exist? She never felt something like it before. Could it be an illusion? A Hallucination? Was she_ that_ desperate that she found happiness in the simplest things? The feeling felt so foreign to her. She just kept laughing in glee and joy for a reason she did not know. She didn't wanted even to know. All what she wanted was to laugh. To laugh and feel the chilly breeze on her wet cheeks. The breeze that sent her bangs flying to the side, and revealed her teary, carefree and elated cyan eyes.

_If only you could see this, Aphrodite._ Rapunzel thought.

The other girls couldn't believe and understand how someone can find so much joy just by the view of the painting of the greatest artist. Don't get them wrong, the scene was astonishing. But they just couldn't stop staring at the joyful Elsa. They were just speechless.

_Nature really is the only medicine. It's so beautiful, it makes you wanna cry._ Anna thought as if she was talking to Elsa while she stared at her-not yet known to be- sister's joyful tears.

The sunset glistened upon the land, while the three girls stood hand in hand. One stood in disbelief, as she felt her first and utter relief. The beauty that it brought to them. The magic that it sang to them. The sunset shined upon the ground, with people stood, stared, astound. The colors soaked into them, while the art evoked heart in them. This sunset of life and love soared in the heavens like a dove. The sunset with an irreplaceable history filled them up with mystery. Flawless, winged and unconfined, and broke all chains from every mind.

* * *

**Innocence - Avril Lavigne on 2:33 and imagine it is when Elsa take sight of the sunset.**

**Guys if you wanna get gooss bumbs or whatever it is called i recommend listening to it ;)**

** NEWWW COVEEEEEERRR (see link in my profile.)**

**Sooooo. Tell me, did ya like it? Please review and tell me if my description of Elsa's emotions to the sunset felt real. :)**

**Plus i just... Elsa is so fucking adorable.**

**Anywho, i won't be updating for quite some time. About... a week or more. Cause my final exams are approaching. :) Sorry :( Trust me i prefer writing than studying :P**

**REVIEWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW Please tell me if i should continue the story and if ya like it so far :)**

**What's your favorite Elsa reaction? ;)**


	19. Sisterly Bond

**SURPRISEEEEEEE! NEW CHAP! A Bonus for my awesome fans!**

**Everyone just wanted a chapter so bad and i felt horrible about it so yeah...**

**I just didn't have the heart and leave you guys hanging like this without at least one chapter. So I spend all night writing it. Until finally I managed to finish it at 4 am in the morning :P**

**Anyone who won't like the chapter will end up dead with my own hands so BE GRATEFULL YA CRAZY BASTARDS ;) Lol Joking… sorry… Blame the caffeine!**

**Well… Here ya go! Enjoy! **

**I did ;)**

**It's not chapter: Sleepless Night. It's another one I thought I should definitely add. So yeah…**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XVII : Sisterly Bond

Anna watched her unknowingly sister who was staring happily into the sunset. She never felt so… Proud. She knew that this strange feeling wasn't just a 'Normal Happy' sentiment. No; it was a new sensational feeling. Why was her heart racing in delight? She saw many of her other friends' joyful moment and she always felt glad for them. But this?... This was a feeling beyond glad. Why was specifically Elsa's happy moment made her that happy? She felt as if the more Elsa was happy the more she became ecstatic, and that it wasn't in her control to choose this emotion. She just welcomed the feeling without dwelling about the idea.

"Anna," Rapunzel interrupted Anna's thoughts with a gentle, low voice. "I think if you keep crying you'll end up dry." She joked.

Anna snapped out of her thoughts and quickly wiped her tears off her cheeks before she chuckled a bit, "I'm sorry…" She sniffled, "I was just… Lost in thoughts." She chuckled again, "Damn… I never was _that_ emotional. It's like I'm a total different person." She deadpanned.

Rapunzel laughed a bit, "Well, let's thank Elsa for that." She said while she pointed at Elsa who was still enjoying her moment.

"Yeah…" Anna replied while she smiled at Elsa fondly.

"Anna? Why are you crying?" Zoey asked innocently as she squeezed her hug tighter on Anna's waist.

Anna and Rapunzel looked down at the little girl with a smile. "Because I'm happy, sweety." Anna replied while she stroke Zoey's head. "I'm really, really happy."

Zoey squeezed her cheek more on Anna's waist and looked at Elsa happily. "I'm really happy too."

Anna and Rapunzel's smile grew at the little girl proudly. _Looks like she's already fond of Elsa. _Anna thought.

Meanwhile…

Elsa was staring at the sunset calmly. She just couldn't get enough of it. A sense of a warm feeling crept around her when she remembered who brought her that joy. She knew they were staring at her, but she didn't want to turn and look at them. No one ever did something good to her. Ever. They fed her, they treated her the most kindly and nicely, they healed her, helped her ease her pain and the weirdest thing was… They saved her from that hell. _Why would they do that? Why would they risk their lives to do such a thing? _She thought to herself. Since the moment she woke up, they never laid a hand on her roughly or hit her or hurt her for that matter. She bit her lip in worry. She had no idea how to thank them. Heck, she had no idea if she could still fully trust them. _No… No, they wanna hurt me. They are just acting! _She thought afraid. _Aren't they?_ She thought again. It's been only a day. Yet that day was her first _painless_ day since forever. And she would cherish it until her last breath. But the day have ended. And her worry was back. _What would they do to me now? Would they… throw me back? _She thought worriedly. _Hurt me for fun like Mad did? Hurt me if they got angry at me like Papa? No… No they are nice, they are nice!... They didn't hurt me. All what they did so far was being kind, right? _She sighed in frustration since she didn't know if she could trust them. Her heart was telling her to, but her mind had other ideas. She suddenly felt a bit of dizziness and pain in her stomach, so she winced and hissed in discomfort before she hunched a bit and squeezed her wound with her arm so she could forget about the stinging.

Anna quickly noticed that Elsa was swaying a bit, so she ran to her. "Hey…" She said and unconsciously placed a worried hand on Elsa's shoulder while the other was underneath Elsa's elbow so she could steady her. "I think that's enough for today. You need to rest." She said with a concerned tone.

Elsa tensed a bit but quickly relaxed as she saw Anna's honest smile and felt the soothing warmth from her gentle hands seeped through her cold shoulder and elbow. She stared at Anna questionably. _Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me? I don't understand… Why would someone help me?!... Of all the people… Me?! _She thought instead of asking.

Anna's smile grew. _Oh my god, she's allowing me to help her!_ She thought excitedly. _Okay… why am I even excited? It's not like it's a big deal, right?... But IT IS! _"Come on, Elsa. It's getting dark." She said with a soothing voice while she rubbed Elsa's shoulder to encourage her and motioned for her that it's time to go. Anna felt her heart flutter in joy when she swore she might have seen a tiny grin on Elsa's face while she was turning to go down the hill. _Was she smiling to me?!_

Rapunzel's eyes widened at the scene. Elsa tensed at Anna's touch _instinctively_ but she didn't flinch. Instead, she just nodded at Anna and was going to allow her to help her down the hill without hesitation. _Well, they _are_ sisters anyway… Separated by accident, joined by love._

"Did you have fun, Elsa?!" Zoey exclaimed happily.

Elsa looked at the little girl and nodded with a _petite_ smile.

Zoey pounced in joy and ran to hug Elsa. "Yeay!" She shouted happily but Rapunzel quickly caught her and lifted her up on her shoulder.

"Okay, missy! I think that's good for today. And your parents are definitely worried about you." Rapunzel said while she followed Anna and Elsa down the hill, and Zoey on her shoulder.

"Awwwww!" Zoey whined while she crossed her tiny arms and frowned childishly.

Rapunzel shook her head in amusement and chuckled a bit at the girl's antics. _She really reminds me of Anna when we were little… Well, she did actually spent most of her life with Anna, so that's not a surprise._

* * *

When they re-entered the fort, the first thing they were welcomed with were the three men, Aiden, Flynn and Kristoff.

"Where were you, guys?" Rapunzel whispered while she held a sleeping Zoey in her arms and rested the little girl's head on her shoulder.

"Training the hounds." Aiden deadpanned, and his humored voice betrayed him.

The other men smirked a bit and the women only looked at them in confusion.

"Okaaaayy…" Anna said with a suspiciously raised eyebrow.

"So where were _you_?" Flynn asked.

"Oh, we were just showing Elsa something." Anna replied with a smirk while she gave Elsa a small push on the back so she could keep walking towards the sanctuary with her. "Elsa and I are tired. So if you would excuse us, we are going to back to the sanctuary. Ba-Baaiiii!" She waved and said with a sing-song voice before both she and Elsa left the wondering men with Rapunzel and a sleeping Zoey.

"What is she talking about? Did we miss anything?" Aiden asked.

"Ohhh, you missed _a lot_." Rapunzel teased.

"What do you mean?" Flynn asked.

Rapunzel pushed playfully the edge of her lips up in a wide smile with her left hand's index and thumb.

The men gasped. "We missed another smile?!" Aiden asked in a disappointed shock, and cursed himself for leaving the girls to deal with the '_wolves_'. Now he missed an angel's smile… Just great.

Rapunzel raised a teasing surprised eyebrow at him. "And why do you care so much?" She asked with a teasingly humored tone.

"W-What?" Aiden replied nervously as he realized how he sounded. "Uh… n-nothing, just asking." He covered up but perfectly failed.

"Aaaaahh, I seeee." Rapunzel said teasingly.

Aiden blushed but thanked the night's darkness for hiding his pink-red cheeks. "U-Uh… Wow! It's really hot tonight!... I think I-I'm tired and I really n-need to rest too, soooo… Y-Yeah, goodnight." He stammered before he quickly turned and headed for the sanctuary not waiting for the other men to follow.

Rapunzel giggled before she turned to Flynn and gave him a kiss on the cheek and bid both him and Kristoff goodnight. "Goodnight, you guys. I have to take Zoey to her parents first." Rapunzel informed. "And be sure to check on that big oaf, before his cheeks could explode from the heat." She said with a wink.

The men were confused at first but they shrugged the idea off. "Aren't you coming after?" Flynn asked.

"Well… I have to visit someone first." She answered.

"But it's late." Flynn asked a bit worried.

"I know, but the person is craving to know what happened today with Elsa more than any of you." She hinted before she nodded goodbye at Kristoff and each of them walked their own way.

* * *

Rapunzel knocked on the small wooden shack's door and waited while still holding the sleeping, snoring Zoey.

The door opened and revealed a brown haired woman: Zoey's mother.

"Oh, thank goodness." The woman sighed in relief. "I was starting to worry." She said before Rapunzel passed her Zoey gently and took a step back.

"Yeah, sorry about that. We were at the hill, watching the sunset with… The princess." Rapunzel said shyly while she rubbed the back of her neck.

"Oh… So the rumors are true? There really is a princess here? And just like they said… She's… you know…" Zoey's mother trailed off and didn't have the courage to say it.

Rapunzel nodded sadly. "Yeah… she's quite hurt." Rapunzel confirmed. _A lot._

"And dangerous." A sudden thick manly voice was heard from behind Zoey's mother.

Rapunzel frowned and tried to see who dared say something like that. A man showed up to the door and stood right next to Zoey's mother with a stern look on his face.

"Excuse me, sir. But she's not dangerous as you think she is. She's really harmless… In fact, she's really nice." Rapunzel defended.

"Then how can you explain the ice magic?" The man argued while he stood all puffed up with an intimidating face.

"Should I keep reminding everyone that she was scared more than a mouse in a cage? She didn't mean any of this to happen, mister." Rapunzel said with an angry tone in her voice.

The man scoffed in frustration, unconvinced. "Just keep her away from my daughter, do you hear me?" He intimidated.

Rapunzel laughed a bit sarcastically, "Well, you should tell that to your daughter cause she'll be the one who wants to spend more time with the princess whom you're scared of." She said while she pointed at the sleeping Zoey. "Even your daughter liked her. So I think you can trust that proof enough."

"Ulriiiic…" His wife whispered with both a scolding and worried tone.

Ulric turned with a scoff and went back inside the room. "Whatever."

Zoey's mother turned to Rapunzel again with an apologetic smile. "Please forgive my husband's behavior. He can be a bit… grumpy at night." She informed.

"No, it's okay. I understand his worry for his daughter. But really now, Princess Elsa is really kind and would never hurt anyone… Especially Zoey." She clarified as she remembered how Elsa recoiled away from Zoey and said that she just didn't want to hurt her.

"I'm sorry, dear. But my husband wouldn't just believe a woman's words. He needs evidence." The woman explained.

Rapunzel felt a bit insulted but she shook the idea away and stared at the woman incredulously. "Oh, so he believes some rumors about Elsa being dangerous and won't going to believe mine and his daughter's words?" She laughed bitterly. "How fair he is."

"Just give him time. I think he can cope with living in a fort with a… woman who can easily take someone's life with the flick of her finger."

Rapunzel sighed. "You need to understand that she is scared of herself more than you are scared of her. Can you believe it?"

"And how is that so-"

"None of you saw how she'd been left exposed and hanging from her wrists to bleed to death!" Rapunzel said with a loud angry voice that made Zoey stir a little in her mother's arms.

The woman went speechless as she stared in disbelieve at Rapunzel.

Rapunzel sighed and tried to calm herself down and not to strangle all these ignorant people. "I'm sorry. I… I should leave you to your slumber, now. Excuse me." She said, turned and walked away without waiting for the woman to respond. She just left her dumbfounded and jaw-slacked.

_These people are so stupid that they just allow themselves to see what they want to see without caring about the truth. _She thought angrily as she stormed her way to the infirmary. _I guess at least Aphrodite would understand._

* * *

Aphrodite sat on her new bed in the infirmary, since she decided to move her room to the infirmary's bedchamber quarters._ What's taking her so long?! Did something happen to Elsa or Anna?! _She thought worriedly. She stood up and started pacing back and forth in concern. _She said she would be here tonight. _She hugged her middle with her arms in anxiety. _Come on, Rapunzel. Where are you? _Just as if she was answered, a knock on the door snapped her out of her thought. "Come in." She allowed.

The door opened slowly and revealed Rapunzel. "H-Hey." She greeted with a smile. _How the hell am I going to tell her that her daughter had been tortured for fifteen years!?_

Aphrodite let out a breath she never knew she kept in relief. "Hey." She greeted back with a tiny relieved chuckle. _Someone looks nervous._

The two stood awkwardly in silence, unsure on where to start or what to do until Aphrodite spoke. "Well?..." She asked.

"Oh! Haha, sorry! I was just lost in thoughts. Um, shall we sit first." Rapunzel bought some time.

"Of course… Here, take a seat." Aphrodite informed with a reassuring smile while she pointed at the table with two chairs at the sides.

Rapunzel nodded before she went to the table and sat on one of the chairs.

Aphrodite turned and walked to the tiny kitchen in the corner. "Water? Tea?... Hot Chocolate?" She asked.

"Hot chocolate, please." Rapunzel informed politely. _Just keep the conversation going. Keep your cool. Don't sound nervous and don't swea- God damn it she's a queen for goodness sake! How can't I be nervous?! _She said while she danced her legs on the ball of her feet in anxiety.

Aphrodite felt Rapunzel's unease and that didn't make her feel any better, so she decided to help the girl calm down. "I swear Anna and you keep drinking this thing and I feel like Anna's gonna blow someday." She joked while she prepared the drink.

"Yeah," Rapunzel chuckled a bit, "I have no idea how she can manage to store all that fat somewhere invisible." She joked back and made Aphrodite laugh a bit. _That a good sign._

"Well, I guess she got that from me… Since… Since it's actually my favorite drink too." Aphrodite confessed with a tiny, barely visible blush.

Rapunzel looked at Aphrodite with an incredulous and playful face, "You love Hot Chocolate too?" She asked while she pointed at the queen. "I-I mean since you know… You're Queen and all, and I thought maybe something more formal like tea or some royal stuff." _Keep it going…_ _Just tell her the good stuff. _

"Royal stuff?" Aphrodite asked with a playful smirk. "Being Queen doesn't mean that I can't love something like Hot Chocolate." Aphrodite informed. "I'm a human queen, not a mythical creature."

Rapunzel's eyes widened as she realized what she just said. "I-I didn't m-mean it like… Oh, god please forgive me, I-I-" Rapunzel tried to reason and apologize to the queen.

"Rapunzel!" Aphrodite cut her off so she could calm the girl down. "It's okay I was just joking! You don't need to get all nervous." She said while she giggled.

Rapunzel stared at Aphrodite in disbelieve. _Joke?... Since when you joke?! Since when you laugh!? _She thought before she gulped nervously. "Y-Yeah… sorry." She said. _She doesn't need to hear the bad and sad stuff in the middle of the night, right? Yeah! Just tell her how happy Elsa was. Yeah!_

Aphrodite finished the drinks and held two cups of Hot Chocolate before she walked towards the table, gave Rapunzel her drink and sat on the other chair that faced Rapunzel on the other side of the table.

Rapunzel took the cup with a grateful smile, "Thank you." She said.

Aphrodite nodded while she smiled a bit sadly and waited for the news to come out of the blonde's mouth. She took one sip before she spoke again. "So tell me. Um… How… How was Elsa today?... Was she s-scared or… You know, since it's a new place to her. A-And her wounds? How was she feeling?" She asked with a low and sad voice.

Rapunzel took a big sip before she placed the cup on the table and readied herself for an answer. "Well, at first we introduced her to Olly and Sally and the others. To say the truth she was pretty scared at first. But she felt better later. When we went out," She laughed a bit, "You should have seen the look on her face as she stared with big eyes at the fort as if she never saw something so interesting."

Aphrodite smiled a bit, yet she felt a bit worried since Elsa looked like she never saw people or a fort before. "And…?"

_Don't let her sense your nervousness and don't sound as if you're hiding anything! _Rapunzel scolded herself before she spoke again. "She still feel a bit of pain, but it's much better than before. She also met Bulda- OH! And she also gave her a blue rose that Elsa really really loved."

"I should thank Bulda for that later." Aphrodite said as she smiled at the thought of Bulda's kindness.

"Yeah… Ouh! And guess what!? She met little Zoey!" Rapunzel said happily.

"Little Zoey? The one and only little Zoey?!" Aphrodite asked with a smirk.

Rapunzel giggled a bit, "Yeah… Zoey really likes her too." Rapunzel noted. "Elsa felt a bit… unease around Zoey. She was really scared that she would hurt her. Looks like she reminds her of Anna when they were little since we both know Anna was really the one who spent most of the time with Zoey."

Aphrodite's face turned sad again and she took a sip from her drink and tried to hide her tears since she now know that her daughter was still blaming herself for hitting Anna with her magic.

Rapunzel noticed Aphrodite's sadness and mentally slapped herself. _God! Why did I tell her that! The woman deserves some happiness for goodness sake too!_ She thought, angry at herself. "Uhm, and Zoey actually gave us an idea that made Elsa really… really happy." She informed and smiled when she saw Aphrodite's head snapped up in eagerness to know that her tortured daughter was happy.

"Uh-huh!" Rapunzel confirmed. "We took her to see the sunset and she was… God, she was soooo happy even to a point of tears! She then started laughing! A-And Aphrodite… Elsa was crying… In JOY!" She laughed, "And then Anna started crying herself too." _Oh god, Aphrodite you missed soooo much. _She thought instead of saying since she knew that would have only upset the queen.

Aphrodite's face lit up with the most joyful manner that Rapunzel ever saw. The cup of Hot Chocolate could have fallen from her hands if it weren't for the table in front of her. Tears of joy ran down her cheeks and she started laughing in joy and her heart just felt warm, knowing that her daughter really was happy. _She's happy! She's happy!... With her sister! She was happy with her sister! My daughters! My… My babies!_

_Nailed it._ Rapunzel thought proudly and praised herself for telling Aphrodite only the good news for tonight.

"Elsa is soooo nice, Aphrodite. She's really kind and sweet." Rapunzel said and made Aphrodite the more proud and happy. She giggled a bit, "She's a bit shy, I can tell you that. I still don't know if she's a bit playful and energetic like her sister. But I'm not going to rush to know that. Of course we should all give her time to open up." Then her face turned to a frown when she remembered Zoey's father and mother, and how they thought of Elsa as a dangerous woman. She didn't notice herself stood up in irritation and started flailing her hands in frustration. "I just still can't believe how some people still see her like she's dangerous! She's really the warmest person ever! People really are blind and stupid!" Rapunzel was yelling to herself in anger and didn't notice Aphrodite stood too and walked towards her.

Aphrodite just saw how Rapunzel was yelling and defending her daughter. She just felt something towards the blonde girl that she never felt before. Rapunzel really did care about her daughter, and she just couldn't help but feel fond of the blondy. She smiled at Rapunzel before she stood and walked towards her.

"It's just frustrating! How dare they say something like that about Elsa! I swear they are the real monst-" Rapunzel was saying when she felt a hand on her shoulder that turned her and what came next just made her freeze in place in utter disbelieve.

Aphrodite turned Rapunzel and wrapped her in a huge warm hug. She didn't know why she wanted to hug Rapunzel, but she felt the real need to do it. Maybe a way of saying 'Thank you'?

Rapunzel froze in place. Her eyes wide in disbelieve. Aphrodite… of all people! Aphrodite. The one who was always stiff, stern and cold and never showed any sign of soft emotions before towards anyone other than her daughters, just hugged her. She didn't know what happened to her but she accepted the hug gratefully with utter happiness and hugged back.

"Thank you." She heard Aphrodite whispered.

"For what?" Rapunzel asked and felt Aphrodite squeezed harder.

"For staying with my daughters and keeping them safe when I can't." Aphrodite said while tears streamed down her face.

Rapunzel's smiled and patted Aphrodite's back. "Hey, we're all family here, remember? We all should stay strong for each other. And… I feel like Elsa is like a sister to me already." She confessed.

"I'm sorry…" Aphrodite suddenly said.

"What?... for what?!" Rapunzel asked confused and broke from the hug to look at Aphrodite's tears.

"I… I was always harsh on you all and never realized that you would do all this for my daughters… for _me_." Aphrodite said ashamed. "I don't deserve such kindness."

Rapunzel smiled at the broken mother again and wrapped her back in a hug in which Aphrodite didn't refuse.

"It's okay. Don't say that. You weren't harsh." Rapunzel reassured. _You were just a heart broken mother who thought she lost her daughter._

The two stayed like this for a while and Rapunzel allowed the broken and stressed mother to sob on her shoulder. Rapunzel made soothing circles with her hand on the queen's back. She knew that Aphrodite was holding her feelings in a bottle for a very long time. But this bottle just broke. _Even a Queen needs someone to help her. Everyone needs a crying shoulder, anyway. And I'm sure Aphrodite wanted one for a long time._

* * *

Anna pushed the bedroom door open and motioned for Elsa to go inside. "Ahhh, I'm so tiiired!" Anna whined in a childish way before she plumped face-planted like a star on the bed that she told the others before to move it here, to Elsa's room, which is now both Anna and Elsa's room.

Elsa stood in the middle of the room, unsure on what to do while holding the rose pot.

"Just place it next to the window where the morning sun will hit it directly." Anna informed while pointing at the window, her voice muffled from the mattress since her face was still planted in it and she was exhausted enough that she didn't bother to turn on her back.

Elsa turned slowly to the window. She winced a bit as she limped her way there because her injuries and placed the pot on the table that was right under the window. She smiled again at the rose and remembered Bulda. The old cow that didn't ran out of milk. She mentally laughed at the woman's behavior. Bulda was the one who actually gave her the only gift that she ever received.

Elsa frowned a bit since she wasn't sure if it was a perfect spot for her favorite rose. _Would the sun rays hit here?_ She wondered. She pushed it further next towards the window, then a little to the left, then a little to the right, then backwards again. She was concerned that the sun rays wouldn't hit the rose and that if they didn't, it would cause the rose to die. Her favorite and only gift to die.

Anna noticed Elsa's silence, lifted her head and rolled to her side to check on Elsa. When she saw how Elsa's arms were crossed and how she was glaring at the rose as if commanding it to take her own spot for the sun, she laughed. "Don't worry, Elsa… Hehe… The window is large enough for the sun rays to hit the rose wherever you might _decide_ to put it."

Elsa let her hands fall to her side, bit her lip and blushed a bit in embarrassment since she definitely looked ridiculous by having a mental fight with herself for deciding where the perfect spot for the rose was supposed to be.

"I think just like this is perfect." Anna said while she pointed at the rose, a bit of giggle still in her voice.

Satisfied by the rose's spot-and that Anna helped her to choose where it should have been exactly-she nodded at the rose then turned to face the room. She stood again in silence and unsure on what to do next.

"We should probably change into our nightgowns." Anna suggested. "Ughh, this armor is killing me." She whined while she unfastened her leather chest vest. "Oh, and Elsa?... Here, take this." Anna said before she moved to the wardrobe and pulled a sky blue satin silk nightgown out from the drawer. Elsa took it gently in her hands then just stood there. _How am I going to get out of that thing first?!_ Elsa thought confused.

Anna remembered that Elsa had serious injuries and that she couldn't change on her own. "You probably need some help." Anna suggested.

Elsa nodded slowly and a bit ashamed that she couldn't do it on her own, but Anna's frank smile forced Elsa's worries away.

After a few groans and moans of pain, and small stiffness and flinches from Elsa, Anna finally managed to remove Elsa's old dirt stained dress and helped her put on the new comfortable nightgown. While she was helping Elsa though, she took sight of Elsa's bandaged torso, arms and legs and saw the other scars and just couldn't help to stop her anger and craving for the suffer of the 'Poopy Father'-since that was the king's new title between Anna and her friends-from growing. After she heard Elsa's groans of pain, that didn't help at all at decreasing her anger too. _She's still in pain and I can't do anything about it!_ She thought in anger at the king and at herself.

After the accomplished mission of helping Elsa, the sight in front of Anna just broke her heart. The nightgown was long enough to cover up till Elsa's knees. But it didn't quite cover the injuries. Anna cursed everything around her but she quickly shook the idea away and decided not to show Elsa any sign that she was angry or that she can clearly see her injuries. So she then moved to change in her own nightgown.

Meanwhile, Elsa stood in the middle of the room uncertain on what to do. While she looked around and inspected the room, she distractingly brought her right hand to brush her left arm and forgot that it was broken. "Ow!" She suddenly yelped and quickly removed her right hand off of her left arm when she felt the pain.

Anna quickly poked her head from behind the dressing screen. "Wow, be careful Elsa! Your arm is still broken and we don't wanna damage it now, don't we?" Anna said with a gentle voice.

Elsa glared at her bandaged arm with a childish frown as if she was having an eye to eye contest… with the bandage.

Anna laughed again before she walked out from behind the dressing screen and sat on her bed, "Goodness, Elsa! You r-really keep making me laugh!"

Elsa snapped out of her war world with the bandage and looked at Anna before she gave her a goofy, shy smile._ What did I even do to make her laugh?_ She wondered. Yet she wasn't concerned since Anna looked like she really was laughing and not just acting it. Elsa didn't know why she felt happy when she saw Anna laughing in happiness, and especially since she was the cause of that laugh. She did feel a bit of pride but she had no idea why, yet the way Anna laughed was a bit familiar to her.

"W-we…" Anna tried to say while she tried and stop her laughs. She cleared her throat, then, "We should probably go to sleep, now. It was a long day." She suggested with a kind voice before she pointed at Elsa's bed.

Elsa turned to the bed that she woke up from this morning and walked towards it. When she sat on it she felt herself bounce from the mattress's elasticity, and it was actually… Fun! Elsa's eyes went wide and she smiled in wonder and bounced again on the mattress. She giggled a bit in glee, then bounced again, and again. The small bed racked up and down a bit and made creaking noises.

Anna watched Elsa's childlike behavior before she shook her head in amusement. "Hahaha… Elsa if you'll continue like that, the bed will break." Anna said as she heard the creaking noises coming out of Elsa's bed.

Elsa ceased her bounces and blushed. "Sorry…" She said shyly.

"Oh, no no! Don't apologize! In fact I always used to do that before I go to sleep. Actually, we would have done _this_ if it weren't for your injuries." She said before she stood on her own bed, her tongue stuck out on the corner of her mouth, and she jumped high then turned her position to a sitting one in mid-air so she could land on her butt. But the moment she landed on the mattress again, _CRASH!_ The bed crashed and broke completely underneath her.

Elsa gasped at the sight, she quickly ran unsteadily towards Anna in worry and knelt next to her. "Are you okay!?" She asked her voice displayed full concern. She tried to reach for Anna's hand to help her up but quickly recoiled them back when she remembered that these hands had hurt many people before.

Anna's limbs were shot in every direction and tangled by the bed sheets. She sat back up with a groan while she rubbed her forehead. "I really should stop eating chocolate." She said playfully while she patted her supposed to be fat belly and smiled at Elsa.

When Elsa kept staring in concern, Anna giggled a bit. "Don't worry, Elsa. I'm really okay. I'm not hurt, see?" She reassured while she waved her arms and legs.

When Elsa was sure that Anna was okay, she didn't know what happened to her, but she suddenly let out a bark of laughter and started laughing as she remembered how Anna looked like when she broke her bed.

Anna's heart flutter in joy when she heard Elsa laughing. As if her laughter was contagious, Anna started laughing at herself aloud too.

They both felt the same feeling. When they heard each other's laughter, they couldn't help the strong sense of warmth and peace from overwhelming their body. Anna felt utterly proud when she heard Elsa's angelic laughter. And Elsa felt utterly safe for the first time in years when she heard Anna's goofy one. At that moment, everything felt so natural. Anna forgot about the fact that she was having fun and laughing with a woman who spent fifteen years in a cage and Elsa forgot her misery and the fact that she was showing a sign of playfulness instead of fear in front of a woman she only knew for a day. Everything just seemed as if they've been living with each other for years. And they were both oblivious that this was the instinctive sisterly feeling towards each other.

When they finally felt their stomach ache from laughter, they suspended their laughs and looked at each other fondly for a sec unconsciously, before Elsa realized what just happened and quickly looked away. Her cheeks turned red from the blush and felt they could have exploded but her eyes widened in shock when she heard Anna's voice.

"I'm really happy that you're here, Elsa." Anna admitted fondly with a warmest smile she never knew she could put.

Elsa stared at Anna in disbelieve. Would someone really be happy when she was around? That's new.

"R-Really?!" Elsa asked in both disbelieve and joy.

Anna nodded again and placed a hand on Elsa's shoulder. "Really." She confirmed.

Elsa felt she would have just wrapped this woman in the most grateful hug, but there was a humongous and herculean force pulling her away and not allowing her to do such a thoughtless act. A force that accompanied her all her life… Fear. So instead she allowed Anna to pat her shoulder without any hesitation or fear of getting hurt.

"Okay, then. You are definitely tired and you should rest. Today was a big and tiresome day for you, so I think we better go to sleep, now." Anna informed and giggled a bit when she looked at the condition of her _bed_. If that what it was called anymore. "I think I made it look better, don't ya think?" She joked.

Elsa stiffened a giggle and nodded with a toothy smile before she started helping herself up from the ground.

"Here, let me help you." Anna suggested before she helped Elsa up easily this time without any hesitation or a sense of nervousness or stiffness in Elsa. Instead, Anna was surprised to hear Elsa say, "Thank you." Elsa said with a smile.

Anna's smile reached her ears, "You're welcome!" She quickly said aloud more than what she intended her voice to be.

Elsa walked back to her bed and sat. She smirked and bounced one last time playfully on purpose and made Anna laugh.

Anna laughed one last time before she plumped back on the bed-… Mattress. Since it was no longer a bed, and covered herself with the sheets. She blew some air on the candle on the night stand and extinguished the flames. Before she let her head fall on the pillow and closed her eyes. "Goodnight, Elsa." She said with a smile that never left her face.

Elsa laid herself slowly on the bed so she wouldn't feel the pains and aches before she adjusted herself in a sideway position, her back to Anna. "Goodnight… Anna." She replied with a very fond and warm smile that reached her ears but that Anna unfortunately missed to see. _Goodnight… _And she closed her eyes and went to peaceful sleep for the first time in years with her _sister_ in the same room.

Separated by accident, joined by love.

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**REVIEW IF YOU LOVED THE CHAP! I didn't have time for a cover but well at least that was actually my favorite chap… It's so full with joy! For everybody!**

**As you can see… Elsa felt more open with just one person with her. Not a surprise. Since its actually her sister! :D SISTER POWER BABEEY! It's the strongest feeling of all! Mister Fear, you are owneddd!**

**Now… I bid you farewell everyone… until June 15! **

**REVIEWWWWW again. :P They always make me happy. Even the more they are big the better ;)…. Uhhhh… HOLY MOTHER OF FRESH POTATOS! What did I just say?! *blush* Oops.**

**Lany~**


	20. Sleepless Night

**Hello everyone! :) Here is another chapter I managed to write while also studying for my exams :P lol how I managed that is actually beyond my knowledge.**

**One Word**

**!WARNING!**

**(Violence)**

**I also drew a fanart of : 1) Elsa and Bulda (Rose scene)**

**2) Elsa and Anna (Bed Scene)**

**for you guys so check the link on my profile.**

**Enjoy the chapter :)**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XVIII: Sleepless Night

Elsa laid on the dungeon floor and tried her best not to move a muscle, since every one of them ached. Her broken arm was still sending waves of agony every now and then. _It hurts, it hurts, it hurts so much!_ She thought desperately. She grimaced then hissed in pain when she felt the new wave of throbbing. Then suddenly, her thoughts were distracted by the screams of fear coming from the outside from the citizens. She slowly lifted her head and squinted her eyes at the window when the small light blinded them. She was able to hear some of the shouts, but she did not like what she heard, and she felt confused and worried.

"We are doomed!"

"Snow, snow, snow!"

"Everywhere!"

"It's The Snow Queen!"

She did not understand what they were talking… or yelling about, but she did feel tremendously anxious. How could she ever figure out what was happening?

The Dungeon door suddenly opened violently and the king stomped furiously inside then towards Elsa's door.

And Elsa terrifyingly knew that her question would be answered soon.

"Open it!" The king commanded loudly, his raging voice sent dread down Elsa's spine.

When she heard the locks of her door twisting, her first reaction was to tremble. Her second reaction was to try and crawl away but she couldn't since her arm was broken and she couldn't use it for support. When she discovered that she was hopeless, she started hyperventilating in terror.

The door opened, and the nightmare began.

The king entered then closed the door behind him, but she was shocked and terrified when he locked it from the inside; he never did that. And that couldn't mean any good sign. Not that it wasn't already obvious.

The King's back was turned to her. He was facing the door and when he finished locking it, he spoke three words. Three words that sounded the most intimidating and holding huge wrath. She never heard such a tone of her father's voice, and she felt utterly frightened.

"Turn it back." The King's words were.

She did not understand what he was talking about, she shook her head questionably in confusion.

"W-What?" She asked, scared.

The king suddenly turned to face her. His eyes were flaring with rage and his fists were clenched so tight, they almost turned pale. "I said turn it back!" He yelled then suddenly started storming towards her.

Elsa gasped and tried to back away but he caught her chains and pulled her back roughly. "THE WINTER YOU CREATED!" He yelled then slapped her and she yelped, "TURN ARENDELLE BACK!"

"P-Papa! I-I don't understa-" She was saying when the king grabbed her by her hair.

"Arendelle is stuck in a sudden winter! The whole kingdom is covered in snow! OH! I wonder whose fault was that!?" He said mockingly, then, "Remove the winter! Thaw Arendelle right now! Or I swear you'll beg to go to hell itself!" He said intimidatingly, his hand was still gripping her hair tightly.

Elsa tried to shake her head in his harsh grip, "Papa… I-I… I don't k-know how!" She replied while her voice shook and cracked in fear.

"Lying bitch!" The king yelled, then growled in rage before he pushed her back on the floor and moved to remove her shackles. When he grabbed her wrists, Elsa whimpered loudly in pain-since her arm was still broken- then turned her head and closed her eyes, not wanting to see her father's.

The king ignored her cries and loosened the shackles then threw them aside before they landed with a loud crash.

"Get up." He commanded with a flaring voice.

Elsa finally forced herself to look at him but she unconsciously wore pleading eyes. "P-Papa… I can't stan-" She was trying to notify her father that she couldn't stand alone on her weak legs but the king didn't wait for her reasoning and gripped her hair again and shoved her up. "I said GET UP!" He shrieked.

Elsa couldn't stand the pain in her head and she forced her weak legs to carry her up, but as soon as the king let go of her, her legs wobbled and she swayed violently towards the wall and tried to steady herself with her shoulder to it.

"Now… Thaw the winter." He commanded through gritted teeth.

Elsa trembled even more on her weak legs. _I don't know how! I don't know how!_ She thought frightened and worried about what her father would do to her if she failed. Which she knew that she definitely would. Indeed though. She really didn't know how to do such a thing. Heck, she didn't even know that her magic could unfreeze things. She slowly lifted her terribly shaking hands up and tried to do something she had no idea how to accomplish it. Her heart started pumping harder the more she focused. Because the more she focused the more the ice spread around the room.

"I said thaw! Not freeze!" The king warned with a yell.

"I-I-I'm trying! I'm trying!" Elsa cried with a fearful voice. _But I don't! I DON'T! I DON'T KNOW HOW!_ She thought dreadfully.

The king cursed, and his rage was no longer controllable when he saw the ice spreading faster. "Are you mocking me, you piece of shit!" He said before he sent his feet to his daughter's ribs sending her back to the ground with a cry of pain. "Thaw it!" He yelled then kicked her again. "THAW IT!" He yelled again then grabbed her by her wrist and threw violently to the wall then again to the other wall. He was throwing her around like a ragdoll, kicking her and sending blows of fists towards her body and face. And all Elsa could do was to yelp and cry and whimper and inevitably allowed him to abuse her.

Blood spots scattered the walls, the floor and her rags.

"P-P-PAPA!... PLEASE! I-I DON'T KNOW HOW!" but she yelped when she felt another kick.

"YOU THINK I'M STUPID!? You think I don't know your wicked plan of revenge against me! Against the kingdom! You made this winter purposely! And now I will show you what happens when you mess with The King of Arendelle. " The king said as he grabbed her and threw her aggressively against the table.

She landed violently and roughly on it with a force so powerful, that the table broke in half by her body. Remains of wood flew everywhere. The glass cups that were spread neatly on the table were broken and scattered all over the floor. Elsa was breathing… more like gasping rapidly for air. Her eyes were blurry from the extreme pain and she couldn't feel her legs anymore. Her brain was pounding its way out of her skull. Right when she was trying to lift her head from the sharp shards of broken wood, to try to make sense of what was happening around her but she was suddenly dragged by her father from her legs to the center of the room. She was literally like a ragdoll in front of him. She couldn't move. She was beaten mercilessly to the core. Her breath became shallow. "Papa…" She breathed, "Please…"

The king started circling her like a prey. Trying to decide what to do more to her.

Elsa looked up and her eyes widened in shock on the person that stood right there in the corner. "Mama…?" She whispered, her jaw slack. There, a figure of her mother was standing in front of her. She wore a warm and gentle smile.

"HA!" The king suddenly let out a bark of laughter when he saw Elsa calling her mother and staring at nothing in the corner. "She's hallucinating again!" He said to himself with a laugh.

The king knelt next to her and forced her chin up so that his eyes met hers. "Your mother is DEAD! By your own hands! Don't forget that!"

_NO!... No, no, no! I saw her, I saw her!_ Elsa thought hopelessly. _I saw Mommy! She was there! She was alive!_

"Stop your nonsense, sweet daughter. Hallucinations won't get you anywhere. It won't bring them back." The king mocked. Elsa didn't know that she actually said these words aloud instead of thinking them.

"Your mother and Anna. Are. DEAD." He said while making sure the word _Dead_ was heard loudly. "Are you going to thaw the kingdom?" He asked with a warning tone again.

_Mommy… Anna! I'm-… I'm sorry!_ Elsa thought then started mourning for her deceased family.

Elsa's tears starting streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably. She shook her head slowly, hopelessly, "P-Papa… I don't… Kno-"

"LIAR!" He yelled before he slapped her across the cheek sending her head to the ground with a disturbing thud. "THAW IT!" He shrieked, "THAW IT! THAW IT! THAW IT!" He yelled continuously as he ripped her already shredded rags off her body and turned her completely nude and exposed her pale scarred, blood-covered and mauled body.

Elsa whimpered and tried to curl in a tight ball to try and hide her modesty as much as she could while she felt overwhelmed with humiliation.

"Monsters don't need to cover themselves." The king said with a smirk and wicked voice. "They don't care about pride or honor. They don't have any!" He said while he threw humiliating looks towards his exposed, trembling and crying daughter. "You don't need to be ashamed. You are a monster! And monsters are already full with shame!" He said and laughed at his embarrassed daughter. "Tell me… What are you?" He asked with a smirk.

Elsa's face was hid behind her hands while she cried and mistakenly avoided her father.

"WHAT ARE YOU!?" He repeated the question angrily. He wanted her to say it loud and clear so she would never forget it. To never forget what she really was.

"Papa…" She whispered, trying to beg her father for mercy.

"Say it!" He yelled, making Elsa cower even more.

Her lips moved frantically, trying to pronounce the dreadful words until she finally managed to say them. "A m-monster…" She whispered, her voice barely heard.

"Say it loude-" The king was cut off when Elsa suddenly snapped and started yelling.

"A MONSTER! A MONSTER! A MONSTER! A MONSTER!" She shrieked with a sorrowful voice then let out a loud sob while ice kept haunting the walls until the whole room turned to thick, strong ice. She just wanted him to stop. She would do whatever he liked just to stop him from hurting her. And screaming what she was would definitely satisfy him.

The king smirked at her broken and yielding soul before he realized that the room was entirely covered in ice… and blood; His daughter's blood. He quickly grabbed the shackles and closed them around her wrists. He stood straight and proud in front of her tortured frame, "I'll ask you one last time… Are you going to thaw the kingdom or are you going to let me do something you'll regret?" He asked.

Elsa hid her face with her shackled hands and muffled her pleading words, "P-Papa… Please believe me! I-I don't-" She was trying to say when the king suddenly groaned in irritation since he knew what she was about to say and kicked her, forcing her to role on her back.

Pain so intense, that she forgot about her modesty.

"Very well then, you wretched thing!" He said before he grabbed the end of the chains and started pulling her under a hook. "You give me no choice!" He said before he placed the chains on the hook that was attached to the ceiling.

Elsa shrieked in pain when he started pulling the chains down to bring her up, since her broken arm was already torturing her. She felt her arm rip in two.

"PAPA! PLEASE… PLEASE! S-STOP… IT!" She cried. _IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HUUUUURRSSTT! _She thought while she shook her head violently from side to side as if it would have stopped the pain.

The king heartlessly ignored her cries and shrieks and started pulling the chains even more to pull her up, hanging from the hook.

Elsa's tears ran down her face like waterfalls. She couldn't stop whimpering and sobbing. Her arms were stretch at full length above her head and her toes barely touched the bloody, frost-covered floor. Her wrists burned from the tight shackles as her whole weight was hung from them. Her hyperventilating was trembling, as well as her body and lips. Not from the cold of course, but from the fear and agony she was experiencing. Sweat overwhelmed her face and frame. The more she moved a muscle in her body, the more the pain around her wrists and arms grew. So she decided to stay still. She lifted her heavy, dizzy head shakily and looked around the room from under her soaked bangs and tried to locate her father.

The king came to view with a smirk, and a terrifying dagger in his hand. The sight of it made Elsa shiver. She lifted her eyes to look at her father pleadingly. She knew what he was about to do and she shook her head at him, begging him not to do it. "N-No… No P-Papa…" She begged with a breath.

The king's wolfish smirk grew and he grabbed her jaw roughly in his hands and lifted her head. Yet, she closed her eyes tight. "Look at me." He intimidated.

She let out a small whimper before she forcefully and groggily lifted her eyelids and stared at the demon's eyes.

"You don't want to thaw Arendelle, my sweet daughter?" He said while he caressed her cheek with the blade and made her flinch. "You just want everyone to suffer with your wicked curse, you froze the troll, you cursed your own home with a treacherous winter, you deprived Arendelle from an heir, and YOU murdered your own mother and sister! And you still dare ask for mercy?!"

She only replied with cries and tears.

"I have made a mistake and gave you mercy by keeping you alive!... But now…" He trailed off with a wicked smile and grabbed the back of her neck and came closer to whisper her last heard words in her ear. The words that she would carry them with her to hell. "You… Are…" He whispered in her ear, his breath making the small hair on her neck stand and she shivered all the way down her spine. "A Monster… Freak… Evil… Thief…" He was reciting the words slowly so she could hear them clearly before she dies. "Unholy… Abomination… And…" He trailed off waiting for her to continue.

Elsa knew what it meant. "Murderer." Elsa finished with the most shameful and regretful voice.

Right before she said her last word, the king whispered, "So long, daughter. May God choose your fate." He said right before he plunged his dagger roughly in her abdomen.

Everything happened together. Her body and muscle stiffened, her eyes widened, her breath vanished as she stared at nowhere while she felt the cold steel inside her, accompanied with a warm wetness all over her stomach and that trickled down her thighs and dripped on the floor and formed a crimson puddle underneath her. Ice would have accidently impaled her father if it weren't for the shackles. The pain she felt was foreign. A new sensation. She was in pain but she suddenly felt numb. Everything went mute and she literally only heard her own heart drumming in her chest. Her head suddenly became heavy, black spots started to overwhelm her view and…

_Elsa!_

She heard a voice but didn't understand where it came from. _What…?_ She thought dizzily.

_Elsa, wake up!... Wake up, wake up!_

The voice was so full with concern. _Oh God… wake up, Elsa please! _

_That voice… _Elsa thought, then…

* * *

Elsa's bloodshot eyes snapped open and she sat on the bed up quickly with a loud gasp. Cold sweat overwhelmed her body and she was trembling terribly.

"Hey, Hey, it's okay! You're fine…" A woman's voice said.

Elsa's mind wasn't even focused yet. She turned quickly to the voice and gasped aloud when she saw a strawberry-blond woman was staring at her with concern. She quickly recoiled and crawled back on her bed to the corner of the wall. "Stay away from me!" She cried and brought her legs to her chest.

"Elsa, calm down it's just me!" Anna reassured worriedly.

"Who are you?! Where am I?!" Elsa shouted while her frightened eyes darted around the dark room uncontrollably while she breathed fast.

"Elsa, don't you remember? It's me… Anna!" Anna said, her voice's worry growing even more.

Elsa shook her head terrifyingly at the woman, "NO!... SHE'S DEAD!" She screamed, tears came down her face quickly.

"What?!... Who?!" Anna asked bewildered. _What is she talking about!?_ She didn't understand what was Elsa saying, but she presumed that this was just the effect of the nightmare and that Elsa wasn't making any sense.

She remembered when she woke up on Elsa's loud screams, cries and pleads. How she quickly stirred in her bed to see Elsa flailing and thrashing her hands wildly, her eyes shut tight while she trembled in her sleep, and how Elsa's bed sheets were covered in frost.

Anna shivered from the room's extremely cold temperature, and wished she wore more than just a thin nightgown.

Elsa's sanity finally returned and she blinked several times at Anna as if waking up from something and was trying to make sure that the woman in front of her was real. Then the memories of the past day came to her and her shoulders relaxed a tiny bit. "A-… Anna?" Elsa finally spoke.

"Oh thank God!" Anna exhaled in utter relief and smiled at the frightened woman. "Yeah, it's me." She reassured then, "Don't worry, you're okay Elsa. It was just a nightmare." Anna clarified worriedly.

But Elsa knew that this wasn't a nightmare. But a memory she just relived in her sleep. She kept staring at Anna with a scared face for what seems like forever.

Anna started to worry since Elsa just sat there and stared without a word. Until…

Elsa finally broke and started crying and sobbing and she hid her face with her hands like every time she felt desperate, sad or scared.

Anna's eyes widened and she quickly scooted over to sit next to Elsa on the bed and ignored the frost. "Hey, Hey… Shhhhh… It's okay…" She said with both a gentle voice, yet with an utterly concerned face. She placed a hand on Elsa's shoulder but felt disappointed when Elsa stiffened like a rock, but Anna refused to remove her hand and just kept rubbing Elsa's shoulder reassuringly, "It's okay… You're okay. You're safe." Anna repeated but Elsa kept crying. She would have took her in her arms and hugged her and told her that everything will be fine, but that was definitely not an option.

Anna knew then, that this was going to be a long, cold, sleepless night. Yet both didn't know that it wasn't just Elsa who was suffering.

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHHHH!" Kai shrieked in pain while he was strapped to a table that was angled at a fifty degree with the floor as Mad kept piercing and twisting Kai's thumb with his knife.

"Now, Now Kai. If you would only tell me how Elsa escaped, all your pain shall end." The King said with a gentle yet extremely annoying voice to Kai.

Kai was breathing fast from the pain, and sweating all over. He looked at the king right in the eyes and, "Go… to hell!" He said.

The king gripped Kai's jaw roughly and smirked, "Kai, Kai, Kai…" The king chastised, "You can't handle such pain now can you? I would gladly make it worse."

"WHAT DID SHE EVER DO TO YOU?!" Kai yelled. "Leave her alone already! Haven't you made her suffer enough!?"

"Oh, Kai. Your sympathy towards a monster is… touching." The king mocked while shaking his head.

"Oh!" Kai laughed sarcastically, "I really do sympathy YOU!"

The king felt utterly insulted but he shook the idea of killing this man right away. "She killed my wife and daughter!" The king yelled back.

"But she is your daughter too! And you have never showed any sign of mercy for her!" Kai snapped back. He would never believe that Elsa did such a thing. Even if she did, it wouldn't be her, but her powers accidently. The girl was too innocent to perform such a crime. "You think it isn't easy for her to just freeze you where you stand?" Kai said with a smirk.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk…" The king straightened his back and folded his hands behind his back. "You are blind Kai. Never judge a book by its cover, but by what's on the inside." The king explained. "I am only giving Elsa what she deserves. It's all because of her crimes. And yet, after all these years of punishments, she didn't learn her lesson. Instead, she sought revenge and plagued Arendelle with an eternal winter."

"How could she ever control her ice if you keep molesting her every night!" Kai yelled but then his face turned sympathetic. "Even when she tries to satisfy you and try her best to be the _Good Girl_ you want her to be! She never disobeyed you, even when you did the unspeakable things to her! You never appreciated that! Instead you just punished her for whatever she did! Even if you knew that it was an accident!"

"How I treat my daughter is none of your business." The king said calmly.

Kai only groaned in irritation.

The King turned to the two guards, "Gentlemen, please escort this savage to his cellar."

The guards nodded and unstrapped Kai off the table before they started dragging him out of the torture room.

"How can your heart be this frozen!?" Kai yelled in disbelieve. "You will never find her, your majesty! God did judge her already! And he helped her escape your treachery! What proof do you need more that she is innocent?!" Kai was shouting at the king while being dragged by the guards.

But the king only rolled his eyes at Kai's failed attempts. And huffed at the word _Innocent_.

When the king and Mad were alone in the room, the king snapped. "How come none of them broke and spoke?!" He yelled.

He was so angry at the Kai and the other criminals since none of them spoke a word or gave Elsa away and told him how she escaped. The old cranky Oga even spat in his face and even told him: "Did ye miss the ice on ye manhood now, ye majesty?" She even kicked Mad between his legs.

The king groaned in frustration as he failed to extract information from them. "Since when did criminals become this loyal for God's sake!?... None of them told me anything! They all just-"

"Spat in your face?" Mad continued distractingly. When he realized what he just said, his eyes widened and he didn't have time to turn before the king pinned him to the wall, his hand was squeezing Mad's throat tightly.

"How about I spit in yours?" The king said mockingly before he squeezed his hands tighter.

Mad's eyes grew wide, "Y-Your Majesty!... I-I think I have a solution… for all… of this!" Mad tried to say as he gasped for air.

"Oh really?" The king said with a smirk before he let Mad go, "Please, do tell." He said with a mocking voice.

Mad crumbled to the ground while gasping before he stood shakily on his legs. "I was… thinking, your majesty…" He trailed off, then cleared his throat, "We have two options... Though I would never come near the second, but… Let's just start with the first." He started pacing back and forth in front of the king, "You see, if we can't get information from the prisoners, and we can't find her, how about we let the citizens find her for us?" He suggested with a smirk.

The king raised an eyebrow in confusion, "Care to explain?" He asked.

"Well, your majesty, we already have a… _Snow Queen_ as the citizen call it. They are already raging about this mysterious witch that cursed their lands, but they think it's just a myth. So how about we announce them a real Snow Queen and confirm that she really does exist… Therefore, every hunter, every citizen, even bounty hunters, man and woman shall hunt her down if we tell them that it would stop the winter, will it not? Of course with an additional bonus of coin shall help elevate their courage and enthusiasm. It wouldn't be that hard on them though. I mean… have you ever found another woman with cyan eyes, bright platinum hair and skin cold and pale like the snow?" Mad explained.

The King's eyes widened in realization, "Why you bloody hell of a genius!" The king said to Mad with an impressed face.

"I'm just an old man who is loyal and trying his best to satisfy his majesty." Mad bragged with a bow.

The king walked towards him and slapped him on the back proudly, "Well, then old man… You succeeded." He said before he turned to the small window, "I'm pretty sure Elsa won't get away easily with all these people chasing after her blood."

"And… Those who helped her, your majesty?" Mad asked.

The King's smirk grew, "Well… The Snow Queen doesn't have a hideout without minions."

Mad and The King smiled wickedly at each other for the plan.

_Soon, my sweet darling. You will be treated and chased like the monster you were born to be._

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**Don't forget to review and tell me your opinion. :) Oh and don't forget to see the new fanarts I drew of my own fanfic :P lol that sounded weird.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Now you finally saw what was the king doing all that time and what he shall do next. I hate angst but oh well… **

**Again… Review **

**I don't know when I can update again, cause I'm still in my exam and they rudely postponed one of the tests till 21 juin and it just irritate me like hell! Please bear with me. But I think it's going to be 22 juin.**

**~Lany. :)**


	21. Like Mother, Like Daughter

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XIX: Like Mother, Like Daughter

The early morning finally came. Anna slowly lifted her eyelids to find that the sun barely even came out yet. The room had a greyish hue since the sunlight was yet hidden. Anna gave off a yawn then stretched her legs and arms before her eyes widened when she felt a cold chill was radiating towards her back and made her shiver. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before she turned to the other side to find Elsa sleeping peacefully at last. It was only then that she realized that she slept in Elsa's bed. Anna smiled at the tired woman, though her smile faded when she remembered how Elsa cried herself to sleep and how she decided not to leave Elsa's side and slept right next to her in case another nightmare trauma took over. On the thought of the nightmare Anna's face turned to a concerned and sad one.

_What were you dreaming about?_ She thought. _Who was she talking about? _She scratched her head in wonder as she frowned questionably at Elsa.

A quiet knock on the door brought Anna back from her thoughts. She slowly slid out of the bed so she wouldn't wake Elsa up and went to greet whomever was behind the door.

Anna opened the door to reveal Rapunzel whom was standing with a big tray of meals. "Morning." Rapunzel whispered with a smile.

Anna giggled silently a bit, "It's not morning yet." She said while pointing at the barely risen sun from the window.

"I know." Rapunzel replied with a satisfied smile before she walked inside but stopped in her tracks from shock. "Uhm, Anna?... What is this?" She asked with a surprised face while she pointed at Anna's broken bed.

Anna laughed awkwardly while she rubbed the back of her neck, "Yeah, that?... Oh, nothing! It's a long story."

Rapunzel stared at the bed in confusion, "Were you wrestling with Elsa or something?"

"No, no! I was just… Hehe… J-Jumping on the bed." Anna said nervously.

"Were you showing Elsa one of your crazy moves, Miss Feisty Pants?" Rapunzel asked playfully. "You broke your bed for goodness' sake!" Rapunzel said with a laugh.

"I have you know, that made Elsa laugh by the way!" Anna defended proudly while puffing her chest.

Rapunzel giggled a bit, then, "Then let's keep bringing new beds in here so you can break them and make her laugh all over again. How did it even break? I swear you weight like the stick that Elsa holds."

"Ha, Ha. Very funny." Anna said annoyed, and before Rapunzel could continue mocking her, she quickly changed the subject. "Can you please tell me why you're here and holding a tray at such a freakin early hour? It's still dawn!"

"Well, excuse me if I wanted to eat with my best friends. I just thought I'd better get Louis to finish our meals first since everyone will soon wake up and the first thing they'll do is to head to the kitchen. So I got us our share before these locusts devour everything and-" Rapunzel suddenly stopped when she took notice of Anna's exhausted face and the small black circles under her eyes. "Anna, did you even sleep at night?" She asked worriedly while placing the tray on the table.

"Keep your voice down. Elsa is still asleep." Anna said while gesturing to Rapunzel with her hands to keep it quiet. "I won't wake her after she finally found sleep without these nightmare attacks."

Rapunzel's eyes widened, "Was she screaming in her sleep again?" She asked.

"Are you deaf? I'm pretty sure the whole fort heard her!" Anna said with a whisper while crossing her arms.

They both turned their heads to look at the sleeping pale form of Elsa.

"I woke up on her screams. She was kind of… Begging for her father or something. Oh gosh Rapunzel if you just could have seen her!" Anna said sadly, "I tried to call her name but she just didn't even looked like she heard me. I also tried to shake her awake but she started flailing her hands at me." She explained before she snorted then, "I got a fist square in my jaw too." She said while rubbing her jaw. "I got really, really worried cause it took me like a whole ten minutes to wake her. God, I was pretty scared too. I-I didn't know what to do!"

"Did she tell you what she was dreaming of?" Rapunzel asked.

Anna groaned, "Rapunzel… When she woke up, she didn't even recognize me! She also said, 'She's dead' in which I have no idea whom she was talking about. But I presume that it's just some nonsense, cause when she woke up she was totally lost and scared and just confused more than I was." Anna clarified.

"Do you think she'll keep having those nightmares?" Rapunzel asked while giving Elsa a worried look.

"Well… We only saw her sleeping twice. And she had this… _Nightmare episode _in both times. I… I just hope that they would go away in time." Anna said sadly before she walked towards Elsa and sat carefully right next to her. She brought her legs to her chest and rested her cheek on her knees while looking at the sleeping Elsa sadly. "I… I just don't want her to suffer anymore." Anna said while holding back tears. "I thought getting her out of there would just fix everything. But… God, I was so wrong."

Rapunzel smiled sympathetically at the two before she moved closer to Anna. "You really care about her, huh?"

Anna smiled shyly, "Isn't that already obvious?" She giggled a bit then, "I swear sometimes when I look at her, I feel this… Feeling."

"Really." Rapunzel said with a raised playful eyebrow. "You _feel_ a _feeling_."

Anna slapped her on the shoulder playfully, "Stop it you!" She giggled then, "What I mean is… A warm feeling. Like… Like the one I feel for Mum!" She explained excitedly, but then shook her head in amusement. "I am really losing my mind. First the emotional change of character, then this! I'm talking baloney." She said playfully while gesturing to herself but went oblivious to Rapunzel's nervousness. "I'm making nonsense myself right now too. Rapunzel, it's just… I'm really fond of her, you know?" Anna said while giving Elsa a warm smile.

Rapunzel didn't know what to say to that. She kept her mouth shut so she wouldn't blurt anything that would have raised Anna's suspicions.

"I know that I've only known her for like... Only one day!" She looked back at Rapunzel, "Do you think I lost it?" She asked more serious than playfull.

Rapunzel giggled but avoided eye contact, "Trust me. You're totally fine." Then her eyes met Elsa's frame. "You know?… Elsa already grew on me, too." She said with a fond smile before she smirked, _And Aiden._ She thought.

"What?" Anna asked confused.

Rapunzel's eyes widened when she realized she actually said those aloud and not in her mind. "What _what?_" Rapunzel tried to act oblivious.

"You said Aiden."

"No I did not! I said… Bacon!" Rapunzel said awkwardly. "I said I'm fond of Elsa… and bacon." She said before she gulped nervously.

Anna raised a suspicious eyebrow at her but shrugged the idea off. "Ah well. Speaking of bacon… What did Louis prepared for us?" She asked while rubbing her hands hungrily.

Rapunzel mentally let out a sigh of relief before she replied, "Oh, the usual favorite of yours: Bacon with two scrambled eggs and some… Broccoli. Ugh! How can you even digest that thing in the morning!?"

"Hey! I don't say anything when you eat fried calamari in the morning!" Anna defended.

"Because it's delicious!" Rapunzel defended back.

"So is broccoli!" Anna said mockingly.

"Your mother despises broccoli! One time Louis made a broccoli soup for dinner, she didn't even come near the kitchen and she decided to just drink water for dinner instead! So how come you love broccoli!?" Rapunzel asked with a laugh.

Both girls forgot about keeping their voices down.

Anna only shrugged with a smirk before her eyes widened when a question ran in Anna's mind. "What did you bring for Elsa?" She asked quickly and leaned towards Rapunzel with a raised eyebrow.

Rapunzel held her hands defensively, "Well we both know she only eats one thing. So I asked for Louis to just prepare a beef sandwich." Rapunzel explained.

Anna frowned. "Beef sandwich? The woman needs more than just meat! She should eat more healthy stuff like vegetables, eggs and tuna..." She paused then, "And broccoli."

"Anna, Elsa hadn't eaten a different thing in years! We don't know if she'll like these stuff. Just let her have her sandwich today and maybe later she'll have courage to try something else." Rapunzel said with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Ah, I guess you're right." Anna said before her eyes widened when she felt Elsa stir. She quickly got off the bed and sat at the nightstand so Elsa wouldn't be surprised by seeing her too close and Anna definitely didn't want to witness another panic attack.

Her face drew a huge toothy smile before both she and Rapunzel turned to Elsa. "Elsa?" Anna called gently.

Elsa lifted her eyelids slowly and revealed her bright cyan eyes. "Hmph?" Elsa voiced distractingly while rubbing her left eye. Her eyes suddenly widened and she quickly lifted herself in a sitting position and turned to face the voice but she quickly relaxed when she saw the familiar _kind_ faces.

Anna and Rapunzel's hearts stopped when they saw Elsa sat up with such a fearful speed. They were bracing themselves for another panic episode but they let out a surprised sigh of relief in unison when they saw how Elsa's shoulders relaxed and the recognition sign on her face. Anna smiled warmly at her, "How're you feeling?" She asked with a soft and gentle voice.

A moment passed. Two. Three. Then Elsa finally just nodded and Anna understood that as an 'I'm fine.'

"Are you still feeling any pain?" Anna asked a bit worried.

Elsa did feel a bit sore, and some muscles still ached but these pains were minor comparing to the other she once felt, so she decided to just shake her head as a 'No.'

_Someone doesn't talk a lot in the morning… Way unlike her sister. _Rapunzel thought since Elsa only gestured and didn't talk._ She's probably shy._ She presumed.

An awkward silence crept around them before both Rapunzel and Anna looked at each other and both understood and decided that they weren't going to ask or remind Elsa of the nightmare. They both nodded at each other before they turned to Elsa, whom eyes were locked to her gloved hands in her lap.

"Are you hungry, Elsa?" Rapunzel asked with a soothing smile.

Elsa's eyes widened a tiny bit, _Do they really eat every day?!_ Elsa thought since it was a bit strange to her. She never had another meal after just one day. It was always between three days to even sometimes a whole week.

Suddenly, it was only then did the smell of the food from the tray arrived to Elsa's nostrils. She gulped her newly-formed drool then nodded shyly at Rapunzel, her eyes were still on her lap.

Rapunzel and Anna's smile grew. "Well, then!" Anna clapped her hands. "Shall we have the honor to eat breakfast with her highness?" Anna said with a changed tone of her voice and tried to sound formal... Bad joke.

Elsa's eyebrows furrowed a bit and felt insulted.

Anna and Rapunzel noticed this and Anna literally slapped her forehead. _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ Anna thought angrily at herself.

Rapunzel stared at Anna awkwardly before she quickly hurried to save the moment, "Uhm, come on, Elsa. Let's just have breakfast. I bet you really want that sandwich again." She said with a wink while she gestured towards the table and the three chairs around it and she could have sworn she saw Elsa grin a bit.

Elsa started helping herself off the bed. Anna motioned for Rapunzel to just sit at the table and that she would help Elsa, if the princess would even allow it. Rapunzel nodded and took her seat and waited for the other girls.

When Elsa shoved the bed sheet off her lower body, Anna and Rapunzel took sight of Elsa's bandages and noticed how they were stained brown from old blood. Their faces turned a bit worried. Rapunzel winced a bit pitifully at the sight of the small bruises on Elsa's face and the horrible scars that lined her frame. Anna tried her best not to sound worried. "We should probably change your bandages after breakfast. I think mother can help you with that." Anna reassured.

Rapunzel's eyes widened and she forced herself not to spit the water she was drinking in shock. _Oh boy… God, help me._

Elsa nodded at Anna before she dangled her legs from the bedside and took the stick that was resting on the nightstand, and Anna knew that this meant that Elsa wanted to stand alone. She felt a bit annoyed but she quickly shook it away and just encouraged Elsa with a smile.

Elsa pulled herself up... Too fast. She hissed in pain when her legs ached at the sudden muscle use and her eyes squeezed shut.

Anna reacted before she could stop herself. She quickly supported Elsa from her cold elbow. "Just lean on me." Anna suggested and her worry already made her forget about Elsa's possibility of a protest.

Elsa felt Anna's warm hands on her elbow but she was too busy focusing on the sudden pain in her legs. "It's okay." She heard Anna say. She started opening her eyes again slowly as the pain in her legs drained bit by bit. Fortunately, the first thing that caught her eyes was Anna's broken bed, and Elsa couldn't help but smile as she remembered what happened last night. Such a wonderful memory, her first real laugh from humor with the unknowingly sister, made her forget about her nightmare. She turned her head to Anna and saw the strawberry-blonde's unsure and awkward smile. Her eyes then slid to her elbow and Anna's hand underneath it.

Anna felt worried and just waited desperately for Elsa's decision of a protest or not.

Elsa turned her head back at Anna and gave her a wide innocent smile then nodded.

Anna gasped in joy. She felt her heart flutter when she saw Elsa smile at her and she couldn't help but smile radiantly back. "Alrighty, then!" She said excitedly. "Come on." She said before she started helping Elsa to walk towards the table.

Rapunzel's jaw dropped. She never saw Elsa smile purposely at someone. _Oh my god! Look at them!_ She thought happily. She wondered how did this sudden change of behavior was triggered. _Oh, Anna… Whatever you did for your sister, it made her really happy. _She thought with a proud smile on her face as she stared at the two sisters that were heading towards her to join the peaceful breakfast.

When they all seated themselves, Rapunzel passed them each one their meal. "Here's your sandwich, Elsie!" She said happily and removed the plate that carried the sandwich and placed it in front of Elsa.

Elsa gave Rapunzel a thankful nod before she shyly took the sandwich off the plate.

"And here is your… Broccoli." Rapunzel said with a frown to Anna.

Anna giggled then started devouring her meal. "Hafe fun with youw calamawi!" Anna teased with her mouth full.

Rapunzel only stuck her tongue out at her friend before she started enjoying her meal.

Elsa took her first bite and she didn't have time to stop herself from humming in pleasure at the sensational taste while her eyes closed.

Anna and Rapunzel laughed a bit at her reaction and Elsa quickly snapped her eyes open again and realized what she just did and turned bright red from embarrassment.

"I know you like meat and all," Anna started saying, "But you should try eating something else! Your body needs some good nutrition in order for you to get better. Every food has its own advantages."

"Thank you very much, Anna, but we don't need a school lecture in the early morning." Rapunzel teased.

Anna stuck her tongue out and made raspberries towards Rapunzel.

Rapunzel gasped and quickly moved her plate away, "Thank you for your saliva donations, Anna, but I think my meal is perfectly good with salt instead." She said annoyed while holding her plate away. "Let us just continue our meals."

The three sat peacefully, each of them enjoying their meal, until curiosity took over Elsa's mind.

She took a quick peek at Rapunzel's plate and all what she saw was some yellowy, weirdly-shaped tentacles spread around the plate. Her face made a small disgusted expression and she mentally shook her head. There was no way she would be eating whatever that was.

Then she turned her eyes to Anna's plate. She saw something that she recognized at least: Meat. Yet she was utterly confused about the tiny green trees that Anna was munching on happily. Since when food became that colorful?

_What are these things?_ She wondered as she kept taking quick peeks at the broccoli. When her eyes trailed to Anna's face she saw that Anna was staring right back with a smirk. Elsa quickly averted her eyes and took another bite from her sandwich.

"I saw that." Anna said while her smirk grew.

Elsa looked back at her a bit worried.

"I saw you looking at my broccolis! Here! Try some!" Anna said and quickly added some broccoli to Elsa's plate before Elsa could protest. "Here!" She held the fork up for her to take it.

Elsa put the sandwich down and stared at the fork worriedly before she gulped and took it from Anna's hand awkwardly and held it as if she was holding a sword and not a utensil.

Elsa stared at the tiny tree on her plate then looked back at the fork in her hand.

Anna and Rapunzel waited both patiently and excitedly to see how Elsa would react to a new food.

Elsa then weirdly smashed the fork through the broccoli with a force that Anna would have sworn the plate underneath it broke.

Both thieves stiffened a laugh.

Elsa then held the impaled petite tree in front of her, took a deep breath, _Should I eat this thing?!_ Elsa thought first. Then she took a bite and munched once before her eyes widened and she held her breath as her body stiffened.

Anna and Rapunzel's face fell and they exchanged a concerned look. _Oh god why did I even forced her to try?!_ Anna thought and cursed herself for her reckless act.

"U-Uhm… Els-AH!" Anna was saying when everything turned green to her.

Elsa couldn't hold it any longer, she quickly spat everything from her mouth and didn't notice that they all landed at Anna. Rapunzel let out a laugh and literally fell backwards with her chair.

Elsa's body shuddered at the horrible taste, she even got Goosebumps. _What the hell was that thing?!_ Elsa thought. It was only then did she realize that Anna was covered in what she just spat.

"Oh my god, oh my god! EW, EW, EW, EEEWWW!" Anna shouted disgusted and made even Rapunzel laugh louder and grip her aching stomach.

Rapunzel couldn't take it anymore, she was laughing and laughing while tears streamed down her cheeks. "I… told you!" She was saying through her laughs, "You are… the o-only one… who loves broccoli! Your mum… h-hates it! And I think Elsa… hates it too!"

"You _think_?!" Anna said as she wiped the remains off her disgusted face with a napkin.

_Ah well! Like mother, like daughter, right? _Rapunzel thought to herself. _At least Elsa got that from Aphrodite._

But both thieves didn't see how Elsa was actually terrified.

Elsa felt utterly afraid of what would Anna do to her. She just spat at the woman! Elsa knew that Anna is about to hurt her this time for real. "A-Anna, I'm sorry! Oh god! I-I-I didn't mean it, I'm sorry I'm s-sorry!" She apologized with frightened eyes.

"What…?" Anna quickly slid the napkin off her face to look at Elsa in surprise. Rapunzel quickly stopped her laughs as the situation turned serious.

Elsa was begging now, "I-I swear I didn't mean it! P-Please believe me! Please don't h-hurt me! Please!" Elsa said before she started trembling again in horror as tears formed at the corner of her eyes. _She's going to hurt me because of what I did! She is going to punish me! Please, please, please no!_

Anna took about ten seconds to realize what Elsa was talking about. "Oh my god, Elsa! No, no, no, no! I'm not angry! I'm not angry at all! I won't hurt you! I would never!"

_Oh no, no, no. This is bad!_ Anna thought worriedly as she rushed to Elsa's terribly trembling form, followed by Rapunzel whom was already full with concern.

When Elsa saw Anna was approaching, she quickly recoiled back, cowered in terror and shut her eyes. "I'm s-sorry!" She cried again.

"Elsa, listen to me, please! I won't hurt you! I swear I won't hurt you! It was just an accident!" Anna reassured and tried her best to sound soothing and gentle. She looked over to Rapunzel and mouthed 'Help me out!'

Rapunzel nodded, then, "Elsa, you didn't do anything wrong. It was actually funny!" She said before she stepped closer to Elsa, whom eyes were still closed and her arms raised defensively.

"Elsa, I'm not mad at all!" Anna suddenly giggled a bit, "You know? I think Rapunzel was right. This really was funny." She said before she removed a piece of broccoli out from her hair.

Elsa waited for something to happen. A kick, a slap, a whip, a punch, a slash, anything… But nothing came. She slowly opened her eyes but kept her arms raised defensively. She looked at Anna with both surprised and pleading eyes, "Your-… You're not a-angry?" Elsa asked, still a bit afraid and was still cowering behind her arms.

"No, no, not at all!" Anna reassured with a smile. "I'm actually happy cause now I know that broccoli isn't on your _Favorite Food_ list!" Anna said before she and Rapunzel started laughing.

Elsa was really confused. These crazy people just either laughed or smiled whenever she did something wrong. What is this mixed up place?

_They should punish me! I did something wrong! Why aren't they hurting me for it?!_ She thought.

"B-But I just did something bad to you! How come you don't… w-want to punish me or h-hurt me?!" Elsa asked with a trembling voice.

"You did nothing wrong, Elsa." Rapunzel clarified with a smile.

"Yeah!" Anna agreed, "There was nothing wrong about that! Even if you did it on purpose I wouldn't hurt you for such a thing! Heck, I wouldn't hurt you for whatever you'd do! I promise!"

"Yeah, Elsa." Rapunzel started, "Even if anyone tries to hurt you, we will always be there to stop him before he does."

Elsa slowly lowered her arms, then hugged her middle, before she lowered her head in shame, "I'm so sorry." She said with a shameful voice.

"Can you stop apologizing, silly?!" Anna said playfully before she carefully and slowly placed her hand on Elsa's shoulder after she made sure Elsa wouldn't stiff. "Come on, Elsa. Let's finish our meals before we head out to the infirmary so we can change your bandages." Anna said softly.

Rapunzel nervously cleared her throat, "U-Uhm… How about we just get someone from the infirmary _here_." She suggested.

"No way!" Anna said while crossing her arms. "We will go outside today. Elsa needs to get some fresh air for god's sake!"

"But-"

"I don't wanna hear it, blondie!" Anna said and raised a hand to Rapunzel's face so she could stop her from talking. "Besides, Elsa didn't see the infirmary yet, or met my mother."

"I don't think she wants to see some injured people, Anna!" Rapunzel whispered in Anna's ears through gritted teeth.

"Well, she won't! We'll just change her bandages and introduce her to my mother… Her healer who saved her life, as I recall!" Anna whispered back.

_Ohhhh… boy!_ Rapunzel thought. _Aphrodite is going to kill me._

Rapunzel sighed in defeat, and Anna smiled proudly to her victory.

"Okidoki, Elsa. Let's finish our meals then." Anna said before she started wolfing her broccolis. "We'w head out thoon." She said with a mouth full again.

Elsa nodded slowly before she returned to her beef sandwich and swore on earth she would never touch broccoli again.

* * *

The three women put on their attire. Anna and Rapunzel wore the usual guild light armor and Elsa wore a simple peasant dress.

And they headed their way to the infirmary.

The more they approached the infirmary the more Rapunzel became nervous and tried to persuade Anna to change tracks.

Elsa on the other hand couldn't help this extremely strange feeling that was bubbling in her chest as she stared at the building ahead. She felt enormously eager to go there for a reason she did not know. It was as if an invisible force was pulling her towards it. And the more they approached the more Elsa's steps quickened involuntarily. She just wanted to get inside as if she would find something precious.

Anna giggled a bit, "Someone looks eager to go to the infirmary." She teased Elsa with a playful smirk.

Elsa snapped out of her trance and gave Anna an embarrassed look.

Rapunzel only felt even more nervous.

"A-Anna?... Are you sure this is the right time to visit the infirmary?" Rapunzel asked as she stared worriedly at the building ahead and fidgeted with her fingers.

"We need to change Elsa's bandages, anyway." Anna replied. "Why are you even so scared of the infirmary?" Anna asked Rapunzel in confusion.

_Oh I'm not scared from the infirmary… I'm scared of what the person inside would do to me!_ Rapunzel thought.

Anna opened the door to the infirmary and motioned for Elsa to go inside.

They all entered the infirmary and were greeted with an old thin woman and a younger version of her which was probably her daughter. "Oh! Good morning, girls. To what do we own this pleasure?" The old woman asked with an honest smile.

"Good morning, Waela!" Anna greeted the old woman then waved at the younger one, "Morning, Yagmur!" And the young woman waved back. "Oh, we're just here to change Princess Elsa's bandages." Anna said and pointed at the shy Elsa.

Both Waela and Yagmur were the assistants who helped Aphrodite at the day Elsa arrived. Waela nodded at Anna before she turned her head to Elsa.

"Oh! And have you seen my mother? I want Elsa to meet her!" Anna said excitedly and Rapunzel's heart only drummed faster.

"Your mother is busy preparing a medicine, she'll be out in a few minutes." Waela explained. "Alright then, your highness. Let us change that for you. Come with me." Waela said with a soothing smile, but Elsa kept her distance from her and took a step back when the woman took a forward one. "Don't worry, child. I'll just change them, you won't feel any pain." Waela reassured but Elsa still just stared at her with cautious and unease eyes.

"Don't worry, Elsa. She won't hurt you." Rapunzel assured.

"Rapunzel, could you stay with her while I go search for Mother?" Anna asked.

Rapunzel felt that the situation was inevitable. She couldn't do anything anymore since if she did she might have raised suspicions. She only then nodded with a smile, "Of course." She turned to Elsa, "Come on, Elsa. Don't worry I'll be with you."

Elsa looked from between Anna to Rapunzel. Of course she would have preferred Anna, but there was no way she was going to protest, since the last time she disagreed with something she ended up being whipped by her father. She gulped and nodded slowly.

Anna and Rapunzel smiled before Anna went into her way to try and find her mother.

"This way, dear." Waela gestured towards a small bed.

Rapunzel gave Elsa an encouraging nod before both walked towards the bed. Elsa sat nervously and bit her lip in unease as she somehow felt more afraid again with Anna's absence.

Waela moved to a clipboard to get the materials. Rapunzel felt Elsa's distress and she hurried to calm her down. She sat right next to her, "Elsa, it's okay! She'll just remove these old dirty bandages so you don't get any infections, and replace them with fresh new ones." Rapunzel consoled. "Trust me, it won't hurt at all."

Elsa only kept fiddling with her braid nervously.

Waela approached her and motioned for Yagmur, her daughter, to help her. Rapunzel did notice Yagmur's unease and distress around Elsa. Yagmur was indeed afraid of Elsa as she remembered what the woman did back in the sanctuary, so she kept a careful distance and tried to smile honestly as much as she can, but her eyes betrayed her.

Rapunzel frowned at the younger woman but was grateful for Waela's wise behavior as she treated Elsa as if she wasn't different or dangerous. Waela smiled sympathetically at Elsa's wounded body then started her work.

After _a lot_ of recoils, flinches, stiffness and whimpers of fear, Waela finally managed to replace the bandages and she was sweating herself. _God, I never made such an effort by just wrapping a bandage._ Waela thought jokingly. The bandages were wrapped in an awkward, weird and a loose way since Elsa never stayed still from fear, yet it will do for now to keep the damaged flesh secured.

When they finished, Yagmur quickly took a step away from Elsa.

"There, that's better… See? No harm done." Waela said with a wide smile.

"Thanks a lot, Waela." Rapunzel said gratefully.

Elsa finally relaxed her shoulders and took an impressed look at her new bandages.

Elsa stood off the bed with the support of the stick and followed Rapunzel and the others.

"Oh! Wait a second." Waela said as she remembered something. She walked towards a drawer and grabbed some sort of a small jar that was filled with a green herbal stuff. She motioned for Rapunzel to come near. "Here." She said and handed her the jar. "This is a remedy Leanna made for the bruises. Let Elsa apply it every night." Waela explained.

As Waela kept explaining to Rapunzel about the medicine and how to be treated with, Elsa's mind trailed off and she started looking around curiously. She wondered where Anna was, who was this Leanna and didn't realize she was wandering off distractingly away from Rapunzel and Waela.

_Where did Anna go?_ She wondered since Anna still didn't come back.

Many healers gave Elsa both scared or amazed looks and sympathetic smiles or frowns as they passed by, some even waved happily at her but she didn't notice any of them for she was already lost in a trance. She looked around again and her eyes landed on a door. A sudden strange feeling told her to go there for a reason she did not know. She raised her eyebrows in wonder and curiosity already took over. She felt the same bubbly feeling in her chest and her heart started racing. _Maybe Anna is in there?_ She thought. She took a quick peek to see Rapunzel and Waela were still distracted with their conversation and she took that to her advantage.

She slowly started walking towards the door and never realized that her mother was actually on the other side.

* * *

**Well… I hope you liked this chap :) Be sure to review will you? ;) **

**So, so far we learned different things about our Elsa : She is skittish, shy, jumpy, carnivore, playful, nature lover and today we learned that she really despises broccoli. :P Just like Aphrodite :3 Unlike Anna xD**

**Never give broccoli to Elsa, folks! Or else she'll spit it in your face!**

**As I said before, I don't know when I can update. The university's exam program is still unstable and so does this stinking university. Because of industrial actions, our principal can't seem to decide when to assign the exam date. He first said that it will end on 13 June… then he said at 21 June… now he said on 16 June. SO he is really frustrating me. Bear with me!**

**Next chapter: Warm &amp; Caring**


	22. Warm & Caring

**Yo, Yo peeps! Sorry for the long chapter. But I don't move on chapter length… I move on the chapter itself if ya know what I mean. Every chapter has its own scenes so if the chapter is already very long I will still write more in it until the fitted scenes are over. I couldn't stop writing a chap in mid scene right? ;) I have already divided the scenes in each chapter. So some chapters might be less long some might be more. So yeah… This story is pretty and strictly organized. :)**

**Oh and one more thing... In the last chapter, there was a thing with Kai and The king... Kai yelled at the king on how he 'molest' Elsa everynight. Well.. I did not mean that as Rape what so ever... God! I can write evil but not like that (Make the daddy assault his own daughter).**

**"Molest" has many meanings. One of them is like Mauled or Tortured or maltreated.**

**Enough rambling, enjoy! :)**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XX: Warm &amp; Caring

Anna was walking around the infirmary and was taking peeks in multiple rooms but there was still no sign of her mother. It's been about half an hour and she still didn't give up on finding her mother. She was really excited to introduce her to Elsa, especially since she was the one who saved her life.

_Ugh, where are you!?_ Anna thought in frustration.

She was running around while asking people if somehow they managed to know where her mother was but they all replied with either 'No', 'She's busy.', 'Ask Waela.' or 'Who are you?'

"You people are no good at anything but healing!" She yelled while flailing her hands around at the people whom were passing by and giving Anna weird looks. "But it's a good thing right?...Hm… Well, forget I said anything!"

Anna then groaned in irritation and gave up her search at last and decided to go back and hoped that her mother would come out by herself soon.

* * *

Aphrodite was standing in front of a table where she always prepared her medicines. Her hood was off and it dangled from her shoulders as well as her long, beautiful brunette wavy hair. She suddenly felt a strange feeling in her chest. She felt as if there were both a warm and cold presence. She looked around the room but she was actually alone. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion before she looked towards the entrance door and she would have sworn someone was standing right on the other side. She shook her head to deny such imaginations and hallucinations and went back to her work. Then, her mind suddenly ran the thought of Elsa. She took a deep, slow breath through her nose then exhaled sadly. _How much I missed you._ Aphrodite thought sorrowfully. _How much I missed your scent, your hair, your brilliant eyes and intelligence._ Aphrodite felt tears were starting to form. _Your innocent laugh, your playfulness, your sense of adventure… You and your sister were the only ones who ever made me happy. _She smiled sadly when she remembered when she and Elsa were together. When she was able to hold her and hug her and kiss her.

* * *

**Aphrodite's Flashback**

Aphrodite was sitting on the queen-size royal bed happily as she wore a wide and gentle smile while combing the soft and beautiful platinum hair of her three year old daughter that was sitting legs-crossed right in front of her. Aphrodite's belly was already round and big from the infant that was growing inside her. She placed one hand on her tummy while the other kept brushing her older child's hair.

"Mommy?" The little pale girl suddenly said.

"Hm?" Aphrodite acknowledged with a smile and kept combing her daughter's hair.

"Does Papa hates me?" The little girl asked innocently.

Aphrodite's hand that was holding the brush froze in place as her eyes widened a bit in surprise and felt a bit worried. "Now why would you say something like that?" Aphrodite asked and denied her husband's bad feelings towards their daughter before she resumed her brushing.

The tiny girl fiddled with her dolly's hair that was in her lap, "I don't know… He yells and pushes me olot." She said.

Aphrodite felt her heart crumble. She would have corrected her daughter's word to 'a lot' but it wasn't a good time for the little girl was serious about the situation and was clearly aware about her father's nasty behavior around her. Aphrodite stopped brushing and placed the brush on the nightstand. She quickly hugged her little daughter and rested her cheek on the platinum crown. "Papa doesn't hate you, snowflake." She reassured but knew deep inside her heart that she was lying. "He is just stressed and busy with running a whole kingdom. It's a really hard thing to do all on your own, you know. Someday you'll understand. You are the heir, and you'll be Queen one day." Aphrodite said before she placed a kiss on little Elsa's head.

Elsa made a tiny angry pout before she turned to face her mother. "But Potata said that people do that when they hate someone."

Aphrodite furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "Who's Potata?" She asked.

Elsa held the dolly in front of her mother's face.

Aphrodite smiled and shook her head in amusement at her daughter's antics. "Well, pleased to know your acquaintance, Miss Potata." Aphrodite said playfully with a bow of her head. "I am starting to think you are persuading my daughter to a wrong idea." She said to the doll. Then took a quick peek towards Elsa to make sure she was listening before she turned her eyes to the doll and took it from her daughter's hands and held it in front of her as she held her head high like a queen and pretended to be serious. "I can assure you, Miss Potata, that my daughter, Princess Elsa of Arendelle, future queen, won't be persuaded by a cotton-stuffed toy like you. She already knows that her Papa really loves her and so does her Mama. And did you know that she has those really beautiful ice powers?!"

Elsa giggled a bit, "Mamaaa…" She whined playfully.

"It's true!" Aphrodite cleared her throat and resumed her speech, "I, Queen Aphrodite of Arendelle, am very proud of my daughter who is loyal, kind, beautiful, adorable, sweet, smart, intelligent, wise and warm even though she can create beautiful snow…" Aphrodite trailed off, placed the doll down on the bed and gave her daughter a wide playful, devilish smirk and held her hands up as if they were claws, "And she… is… my… little… Snowflake!" She said right before she grabbed her daughter and attacked her with raspberries on her tiny belly and made Elsa squeal in a high-pitched innocent scream of laughter.

"Mama!" Elsa squeaked while laughing and tried to escape her mother's tickle-attack.

"Surrender to Queen Aphrodite of Arendelle!" Aphrodite said with a low-pitched voice as if an evil villain was saying that before she made another raspberry on her daughter's baby belly.

"Mama s-stop!" Elsa laughed again, "I yield! I yield, M-Mama!" Elsa said as she held her hand up and gestured for peace.

Aphrodite laughed before she finally stopped her attacks and gave her daughter mercy.

"Oh look… I messed up your hair all over again-" Aphrodite teased as she stared and giggled at her daughter's now-messy and fuzzy hair that looked more like an afro, but she was cut off by her Elsa's tiny finger on her lips.

Elsa placed her tiny finger on her mother's mouth to shush her. The cyan eyes were wide and serious and she didn't even bother to smooth her wild hair again.

Aphrodite stared at her daughter with confused wide eyes. Elsa's tiny finger still on her lips.

Elsa brought her other index to her own mouth and made a shushing sound, before she pointed at her mother's huge belly. "The baby is sleeping." She whispered with a serious tone.

Aphrodite couldn't help but smile widely at her daughter and stiffened a giggle. Despite her daughter's ice powers, she was really warm and caring on the inside. "Oh, sorry." Aphrodite whispered back from behind Elsa's baby finger.

Elsa smiled and removed her finger off her mother's lips before she went to pick her dolly. "Potata said that we should keep it quiet cause babies need to sleep and we shouldn't wake her up."

Aphrodite smirked at her daughter, "And how did you know if it's a _Her_?... It might be a _He_ for all you know." Aphrodite said. _I hope._ She thought as she remembered how her husband would be furious if he didn't get a new heir… the next king for the throne. And she felt really worried about the idea and didn't want to imagine what would happen if it was a girl. She didn't want to imagine what her husband would do to Elsa.

"I know it's a baby sister." Elsa said proudly, "That's what Potata told me."

Aphrodite shook her head at her silly daughter before she scooted closer to her and picked her daughter up and placed her on her lap. "Then how about we give your baby _sister_ a name, shall we? You don't want to keep calling her 'baby sister' right?" Aphrodite said with a teasing smile.

Elsa gasped in joy and excitement before she raised her hand, "Oh I know, I know! Pick me, pick me!"

Aphrodite giggled a bit, then, "Who to pick, who to pick…" She teased.

"Mememememe!" Elsa shouted and tried to raise her arm as much as she could. "Pick me!"

"Please don't tell me it's another name after food like Miss Potata here." Aphrodite said with a humored tone.

Elsa's excitement fell and she lowered her hand as she tried to think of another name then.

Aphrodite laughed this time since now she knew that Elsa was really about to choose a name after food. "You don't want your sister to be called Princess Lettuce of Arendelle, right?"

Elsa tapped her index on her chin and stuck her tongue out at the corner of her mouth, her hair still messy and wild. Elsa's suddenly gasped happily.

Aphrodite braced herself for the crazy name Elsa would burst out.

"How about…" Elsa said before she held herself tight to prepare for a pounce, "Anna!" She exclaimed with the pounce.

Aphrodite's eyes widened at her little girl since the name she chose wasn't crazy, food-like or informal. She quickly grabbed her daughter up and twirled her around the room in a circle. "That's a great name!" She shouted happily before she squeezed Elsa in a crush hug, then kissed her forehead. "Oh, my sweet, smart daughter." She said fondly before Elsa wrapped her tiny arms around her mother's neck carefully so she couldn't harm the baby. "Come on, now. Time for bed." Aphrodite announced before she started heading to place her daughter in bed.

"Aaawwwww!" Elsa whined. "But I'm not tired-" She was saying when she was cut off by a sleepy yawn.

Aphrodite giggled gently, "I think you are, my little snowflake." She said as she placed Elsa in bed and pulled the covers over her tiny body, handed her Potata then laid herself right next to her and smoothed her daughter's wild hair.

"Mommy? Can you sing for us?" Elsa requested with tired eyes.

"Us?" Aphrodite asked amused since her daughter was still probably acting with a wild imagination as if this Potata was alive.

"Me and Anna." Elsa said and corrected Aphrodite's thoughts.

Aphrodite couldn't help but feel her heart flutter in joy at Elsa's enthusiasm for the arrival of her sibling. "Which lullaby do you want me to sing?" Aphrodite said with a radiant smile as she caressed her daughter's hair and pushed the platinum bangs off her face.

"Our lullaby!" Elsa shouted excitedly.

"If that's what you want, then alright, love." Aphrodite said before she sank lower inside the bed sheets, cuddled her little girl and rested her cheek on Elsa's head. Right before she opened her mouth to sing, she felt a chilly hand on her big tummy and heard Elsa's voice.

Elsa placed her hand on her mother's tummy, "You'll see, Anna. Mama has a great voice!" She finished before she placed a soft kiss on Aphrodite's belly.

Aphrodite felt a bit anxious. She was so worried for the upcoming baby. She was scared herself of her own husband's reaction towards either her or worse… her daughter or probably daughters. But she shook the worries away as she didn't wanted to ruin her lovely and peaceful moment with her daughter. She suddenly felt a hard kick from the baby inside. "Oh, would you look at that?" Aphrodite started as she rested a hand on where the baby just kicked.

"What?" Elsa asked curiously.

"Looks like your little sister wants to come out and meet you soon." Aphrodite said with a smirk.

Elsa gasped, "Really!?... Do you think she loves me?" Elsa asked.

"Well of course she does, sweety." Aphrodite said before she felt another hard kick. "Oof… I think she really, really does." She said with a chuckle. "Come on, now." She squeezed Elsa in a hug.

"Mommy?" Elsa suddenly called again.

"Hm?" Aphrodite said and squeezed Elsa tighter to her.

"You will never leave me alone, right?" Elsa asked.

Aphrodite's eyes widened. Why would her daughter ask such a thing? "I swear I would never let you go."

Aphrodite then started singing the lullaby that she had been singing it to Elsa since the day she was born. This lullaby always made Elsa relax and feel utterly safe and happy. It always sooth her to sleep or calms her down when she would be crying.

A few minutes passed along with Aphrodite's soft and warm voice that enchanted Elsa's ears to sleep. Aphrodite smiled warmly at her now-sleeping daughter. She placed a hand on her tummy and could only hope for the best. _Everything is going to be fine… Stop worrying. Yes… everything will be okay._

* * *

Aphrodite sighed heavily and stopped working with the medicine. She rested both hands at the edge of the table and leaned on them. _My beautiful baby… _She placed a trembling hand on her mouth to avoid a sob, _I wronged you!... I did a selfish thing and you were the one who paid for it! You paid for my own mistake! You… you have every right to hate me… I would never blame you for it! Ever. _She took a deep shaky breath and pulled her hood over her head. _But that's all in the past… I cannot change what I did… Not anymore. It's too late to hope. I can never get her back. She would never love me again._ She shook her head slowly at herself and resumed her work with the medicine to try to distract herself from such troubled thoughts.

* * *

Elsa didn't know why her hand was trembling above the door's handle. _What is happening to me?!_ She thought more eager than worried. She took one last peek towards the busy Rapunzel before she started turning the handle slowly. Her heart raced faster and faster the more the handle made creaking noises.

The handle clicked. The door opened.

Elsa entered slowly and pocked her head inside the room. She looked around and saw multiple shelves full with different types of ingredients. From herbal to goowy or solid or powder. Two simple windows each on the other side of the room. Some barrels in the corner and a chair. Her eyes then landed on a figure standing back-turned to her. It was definitely a woman since her frame didn't deceive her femininity. Elsa felt her heart stop as she stared at the back of this woman. Her eyes widened in confusion and wonder. She felt as if there was a warm force that made her really in _need_ to approach this woman. She didn't know why she wasn't afraid of this woman. Normally she would have ran away back to stand right next to Rapunzel from the fear of such a stranger in which she didn't know if this woman held bad intentions like her father, or good intentions like Anna and Rapunzel. Elsa took a safe step closer. Then she froze when she heard the woman's voice.

"Waela, I told you I don't want to be disturbed." The woman said, her voice showed a bit of sadness and regret yet it also held a strong strictness.

That voice made Elsa feel warm all over despite her body's coldness. She felt a tug to her heart when she heard it. But she still did not know why she was having all these crazy, mixed-up and strange feelings. The woman was standing there mixing things up into a wooden bole and was adding some sort of powder. Then, the woman started to turn, her hood still covered her head.

Aphrodite got no respond when she asked _Waela_ about this sudden disturbance. She didn't know why the room was cold on _Waela_'s presence. She stopped what she was doing, gritted her teeth in frustration and started to turn. "I told you, Waela. No distu-" Aphrodite's hooded green eyes widened in shock as she witnessed the pale woman in front of her. The wounded woman who once was her little girl. The tortured woman whom last time she held her in her arms, was only nothing but a scared six year old girl. "Elsa?" Aphrodite asked her breath started to quicken but not from fear or sadness, but from joy on finally seeing her daughter. Her heart drummed fast in her chest. "Oh, Elsa!" She said happily while her lip-parted smile grew wide and she didn't have time to stop herself. The excitement turned her oblivious that the platinum haired woman was staring right back in confusion and a tiny bit afraid. Aphrodite started striding towards her daughter with open arms. She wanted to hug her, to comfort her, to kiss her, to touch and brush that beautiful platinum hair, to look into these warm incredible cyan eyes again and to never leave her side, but she stopped mid-way when she realized what she was doing as her mind turned back to reality and out of her motherly senses. Her arms were still raised. Frozen in place.

_What am I doing?! Stop it! Stop it! Turn away right now! She hates you, remember!? She doesn't want your hugs or your pathetic comforts. Turn away! She will see you!_

Aphrodite quickly whipped her body to the other side and turned her back to her daughter with an unbelievable fearful speed and held her hand to the side of her face so Elsa couldn't get a better look while the other hand wrapped around her middle. "W-What are you doing here!?" Aphrodite asked with a trembling and scared voice and cursed and winced at herself because of the harsh tone that accidently came out.

Elsa's eyes widened as she saw how the woman called her and started coming towards her. Her voice was so full with happiness and joy but Elsa was utterly confused. _How did she know my name?_ Elsa wondered before her unfortunate instincts took over. Elsa started to back away fearfully. This woman was coming right at her. Why?

_Hurt me. _Elsa's strong dreadful instincts decided. _But she sound so… so happy… Happy to see me!_ Elsa's other weak side of her mind thought joyfully. The side of her mind that she would use to comfort and reason with herself or to even think positive. The side that she stopped using for fifteen years.

She never had anyone who was happy that she was present. Her father always looked at her with either angered or disgusted face and that made the feeling of being ashamed even worse than it already was. But this time, this woman was a total _stranger _to her, yet the woman was happy to see _her_. But she broke out of her happy thoughts when she saw the woman froze and quickly looked away and turned her back to her. Elsa suddenly felt utterly disappointed and ashamed again. She lowered her head and hugged herself and held her tears from coming down. Then she heard the woman's stressed question. Elsa felt afraid again, "I-I was just… L-Looking for Anna. I'm sorry!… I-… I should go." Elsa quickly said before she hurriedly turned away to leave.

Aphrodite listened to her daughter's voice. She felt tears started to stream down her cheeks and her heart stopped because of how weak and tired the voice of her daughter came out. The voice of an adult woman and not the high-pitched one of a little girl. Aphrodite now knew that she _really_ did lose a lot and never witnessed her daughter's life. And God knows that if she knew better about how Elsa grew she would have begged not to see such a thing instead.

Aphrodite would have killed herself because of how her question made Elsa feel afraid. "No, wait!" Aphrodite called. Her eyebrows were still furrowed in extreme worry and her back was still turned to Elsa. She bit her lip when she heard that Elsa's footsteps stopped, so she knew that Elsa was looking at her again and she was listening.

Elsa stopped in surprise when she heard the woman's _command_. She slowly and cautiously turned her head to the woman.

Aphrodite took a deep breath. And slowly turned while making sure to keep a big distance and the hood checked above her head. "How-… H-How are you feeling?" She suddenly heard herself ask. _What am I doing!? _She thought but quickly shook that away because there was no way she was going to let Elsa feel uneasy or scared of her. She was going to try to sooth and comfort her daughter even if it was with a careful distance and a hooded face. No matter what, she would try.

Elsa's shoulders slowly lowered. Her eyes went to the right then back to the woman. "I'm… I'm fine." Elsa said with more like a whisper. _Who is this woman?_ She thought as she heard Aphrodite's real concerned voice.

"Are you feeling better? Is… Is there still any pain?" Aphrodite asked again her voice this time really gentle but still worried as she took a peek at Elsa's gloved hands.

Elsa didn't know what she was feeling. This voice was so gentle and soothing. So… Welcoming. She felt as if the fear was suddenly dissipating. Both stood in an awkward silence before Elsa finally shook her head and denied pain.

"D-Did Waela give you the medicine I made for you?" Aphrodite asked and stiffened a bit when she saw how it was Elsa who took an unconscious step forward. _She doesn't recognize my voice._ Aphrodite thought. But she did not know that Elsa's fifteen years of torture and pain forced her mind to forget a lot of things.

"Yes…" Elsa confirmed and she suddenly remembered what Waela said. Her eyes widened, "Your-… Your Leanna? A-Anna's Mama?!" She asked with a voice that came out a bit higher and happier than she intended since she was of course eager to meet the woman who saved her life… or unknowingly, her mother. How could she thank her? She had a simple idea.

Aphrodite felt her heart rip in half since now she was going to lie directly to her daughter. "Y-Yes. I am. I'm-" She sighed then, "Leanna." She lowered her head.

"Thank you." Aphrodite suddenly heard Elsa say. Her head snapped up and she looked quizzically at Elsa, but her face was still hidden. She didn't understand why Elsa was thanking her.

Elsa grinned shyly and lowered her head to hide the blush, "You saved my life." She said with a voice that came out a bit throaty and never knew how that made Aphrodite feel terrible. "I'm… I… T-Thank you." Elsa said again awkwardly.

Aphrodite smiled sadly. Her daughter was still the kind-hearted little girl she once_ had_. "You don't need to thank me, dear-" Oh _dear_ indeed. "-I was just doing my job. And… I would try my best to make you feel better." Aphrodite promised. But deep down, she knew that they were empty words since she already failed miserably at keeping her promises. _You say that and you know you can't do anything for her. _Aphrodite thought angrily at herself. Aphrodite's eyes trailed to Elsa's bruised face. And she took a sharp breath of sorrows before she had the courage to ask, "Who did this to you?" She wanted to be sure. Even though she already knew the answer, she just couldn't believe that she married a man so cruel, insane and dangerous. She didn't wanted to believe that the man she once loved was a real madman. A man who would do all this to his own daughter.

Elsa's eyes snapped wide and her shoulders shoved up again in distress. She quickly looked away and closed her eyes. "It's…" _Should I tell her?_ "P-Papa." She whispered, afraid that if she said her father's name out loud, he would have come out of thin air and beat her.

Aphrodite's grimaced in sadness since her thoughts were confirmed by the victim herself. "W-Why?!" She asked but when she saw how Elsa inhaled sharply and bit her lip in stress she decided to change her question. She lowered her eyes to look at Elsa's scars, "Did… Did he do it before?" She asked and grew really worried.

Elsa didn't know what to answer. There was no _before_ it was more like _always_. "All-" She took a deep sorrowful breath, "All the time."

Aphrodite's eyes snapped wide in horror, _What does she mean?!_ She thought horrified. "W-what do you m-mean?!" She asked a bit felt ridiculous as her mind wasn't adjusting to such images that were now running in her head and the idea… the horrible idea that was now haunting her mind and was trying her best not to believe it. _Surely Elsa only meant about some yells and shouts from him, right? It's not like he… I-I-It's not like he really d-did it all the time! _Aphrodite thought as her heart drummed faster and didn't wanted to believe what she knew she was about to hear. Her tears were already forming as she braced herself.

Elsa's own tears were streaming down now and seeing this only made things worse for her mother. Aphrodite began to tremble as she witnessed her daughter's tears and how she stood there in front of her like a scared puppy.

* * *

Waela finally finished instructing Rapunzel who just smiled and nodded but the old woman never stopped rambling about the medicine and _Leanna_'s skills.

"Alright Waela I got it." Rapunzel assured. "Apply gently on bruise. Every night before sleeping. Don't expose to sun. Don't rub too much. Okidoki."

Waela nodded then turned and walked away.

"Okay, Elsa-" Rapunzel started, "-We should probably go find where Anna wen-" She suddenly stopped and her eyes grew horribly worried when she didn't find the princess. "Elsa?" She called and looked around fast, "Elsa?!" No respond. _Oh no!_

"Rapunzel!" Anna's voice suddenly called.

Rapunzel turned to Anna's voice. Anna was walking towards her and a frown on her face.

"I didn't find her! None of those people saw her. Where could my mother be?" Anna asked then looked around in confusion. "Uhm… Rapunzel? Where's Elsa?" Anna asked before she focused her eyes to Rapunzel's.

Rapunzel bit her lip and gave Anna a worried look and didn't dare say a word.

"Rapunzel…?" Anna started extremely worried as her eyes widened. "Where is Elsa?!" She said slowly in utter uneasiness.

* * *

Elsa wiped her tears again with her gloved hands. "He… H-He locked me and k-kept doing that t-t-to me… since I was six." Elsa said with a cracking voice.

Aphrodite gasped and suddenly felt dizzy at such an atrocious news. She felt her legs wobble and she quickly steadied herself with the grip of the table. Her eyes horrifyingly wide. Her heart crumbled. She brought a trembling hand to her mouth. She couldn't believe it. She just couldn't. _It's… It's been fifteen years! That… That…_ There was really no words that she could describe him. _You son of a-… Just when I disappeared you took the advantage to hurt her! YOU COWARD!_ She was feeling as if her soul was slowly creeping out of her when she started to have a conflict with herself. _Why did I think of leaving?! Why did I decided to run away?! None of this would have happened to her if I didn't leave her alone! None of this would have happened if I never thought of running away! I would have stayed with her and kept hiding her and protecting her! WHAT HAVE I DONE?! _Then, her raging mind made her mouth pronounce two words that she would later regret.

"That MONSTER!" She said furiously with a loud breath at her husband yet she didn't really realized what she just did.

Elsa's world turned upside down.

Unfortunately, Elsa thought that what Aphrodite said was directed at her. Elsa's eyes widened as she heard the word. "W-What?!" The word that would make her soul shatter, that would make her body crumble and shiver. She suddenly started trembling. "No… No… No, no, no please no!" Elsa started to say as she lost her focus on Aphrodite. Her eyes were now staring at nothing. _Monster! _"Please NO! Not again! PLEAASE! I'm… I'm not!... I am?!... What?!" Elsa mind was confused, lost and horrified all at the same time.

Aphrodite slowly lifted her head to Elsa's voice and looked at her in confusion. She did not know that this haunting word would overturn Elsa's mind, even if it wasn't directed to her. Yet the confused mother didn't understand that Elsa thought that she just called her a monster.

"Stop it! Please!... I'm… I don't know! NO! NO! NO!" Elsa started to scream nonsense as she darted her eyes around as if trying to avoid an invisible whip or fist. She started hyperventilating and gasping for air. Her heart raced and raced and raced.

_Monster, murderer, abomination… _Her father's words started to be heard in her head.

Elsa gasped then shut her eyes tight and closed her ears. "NOO!" She screamed again and started shaking her head violently.

_Unholy, freak, thief, killer, filth…_

Elsa collapsed on her knees and squeezed her eyes tighter as well as her hands on her ears. She felt an immense pressure on her burning chest. "PLEASE!"

The room became extremely cold.

_Monster, murderer, abomination, Unholy, freak, thief, killer, filth! WHAT ARE YOU!?_

"MONSTEEEER! I'm a monster! I'm a monster! Monstermonstermonsteeeeer!" Elsa shrieked loudly like a maniac. She started to sweat, her mouth went dry and she already forgot that there was another horrified presence in the room.

Aphrodite watched in horror while shocked tears came down her cheeks uncontrollably as she witnessed her daughter's condition of terror, panic and dread. She watched helpless as her daughter yelled, trembled, cried and looked around like crazy. _Oh my god…!_

Elsa started rocking back and forth with a great fearful speed. She snapped her bloodshot eyes open and darted her eyes around but she couldn't see anything at all.

The door suddenly burst open and Anna and Rapunzel stormed inside. "Mum?!... What's happening?!" Anna yelled then her eyes snapped wide when she saw Elsa's form was cowering on the ground. "Elsa?... Elsa!" She quickly ran to Elsa's side and saw how Elsa's eyes were open and were staring at nothing. Elsa was definitely lost in horror thoughts.

When Elsa felt a presence next to her, she recoiled roughly away with a loud whimper.

Anna placed a shocked hand on her mouth and made a wise decision not to touch Elsa as she realized that the princess was having a panic attack. _Oh no!_ "What did you do to her?!" Anna yelled at her mother.

Aphrodite didn't even hear her younger daughter. She only saw how Elsa was looking beyond her view. "No…" She whispered to herself and felt her legs wobble all over again. _What is happening to her?!_ _WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY DAUGHTER?! _She couldn't believe the sight. She just didn't understand why the sudden outburst.

"What did you tell her!?" Anna yelled again at her mother.

Rapunzel covered her mouth in shock. Some of the people in the infirmary pocked their heads inside the room to see what was happening and who was screaming. Some also ran away out of the infirmary when they felt the cold temperature and the fragile frost that was forming underneath Elsa. All the people in the room were now producing steam out of their mouths except strangely for Elsa who was the one who was breathing faster than any of them.

Elsa shut her eyes again and ears. "Monster. . . Monster. . . Monster. . ." She was mumbling with trembling lips as she rocked herself on the ground. Elsa couldn't breathe anymore. "No. . . No. . . No. . ."Her hands fell to the ground and she was now on both her knees and hands as she gasped for air and her tears dripped on the floor.

Anna herself stared to panic. Her own tears started to form at seeing Elsa's and her anger turned to utter concern. Elsa wasn't even blinking, "Oh my god!… Elsa? Elsa listen to me. Please…" Anna tried to say with a gentle voice to bring Elsa out of her episode. "You're okay now. I'm here! Elsa, please look at me! There's no one here! Just me and you. No one will hurt you." Anna tried to say anything at all just to make Elsa focus on her. Anna fell to her knee, "Elsa, please look at me… Come on, with me… Slow, deep breath." Anna said with a gentle yet utterly concerned voice. When she saw how Elsa kept trembling and didn't even look like she heard anything at all. Anna turned to the people that were watching in horror next to Rapunzel. "You are healers god damn it! DO SOMETHING! How do you stop this!?" She asked as she stared angrily at the healers.

"We can't do anything, Anna. It's a panic attack, it will go away by itself." One of the healers explained, his face concerned for Elsa.

_What have I done!?_ Aphrodite thought.

Anna shook her head at such a stupid answer. She looked back at Elsa and didn't dare to touch her shoulder so she could somehow comfort her but she swore that Elsa would have blown the whole infirmary down with ice, so she decided to use words. "Elsa?... D-Do you remember Bulda's gift to you? That beautiful blue rose you now have? Do you remember, Elsa? It was really beautiful wasn't it?... A-And do you remember the sunset? Such an incredible sight that was, right?" Anna tried to sooth with a nervous smile. _Oh god please, please, Elsa. _Anna thought desperately as she saw how Elsa was still breathing fast. No one dared to say a word and just left it all to Anna so Elsa wouldn't suddenly do something they weren't prepared for. Anna bit her lip, then, "U-Uhhh… D-Do you remember how we had fun at night? With me! H-How I am so clumsy and silly and broke my bed? How we laughed together? Didn't you like that Elsa?" Anna asked desperately again. She knew what Elsa was thinking of as she heard her mumbles of the unspeakable word, _Monster_, over and over.

Aphrodite was having her own episode of standing in shock. Silent. Frozen.

Anna felt utterly relieved when she saw how Elsa started to blink continuously at least. "Come on, Elsa. It's me. Listen to my voice." Anna soothed again.

Elsa's breath started to slow.

"Here you go, come on, just keep focusing on my voice. I'm here, don't worry, I won't leave you. You are safe now, you are free!" Anna said happily with the still furrowed eyebrows of worry.

Elsa slowly stopped mumbling and very slowly started to lift her head to look at Anna. "F-… F-… F-Free?" Elsa asked, still trembling.

Anna let out a small laugh of relief and joy as Elsa finally acknowledged her. "Yes, yes! Free! You're free!" Anna said happily as joyful tears came down.

Elsa brought her hand off the ground and hugged herself. Her eyes hovered over Anna's face as if trying to determine the strawberry-blonde's presence. "Anna?" Elsa whispered.

"Hey, shhhhhh… I'm here. It's me, it's just me." Anna soothed but still didn't dare to touch her. She wanted to be sure that Elsa was completely out of her episode. "Come on, Elsa… Slow breath." Anna inhaled and exhaled slowly.

Elsa blinked again and tried to slow her breath. After a few moments, Elsa finally made sense of her world. "Y-… You're crying…" Elsa said with a confused face.

Anna giggled a bit and quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve. "Don't worry about me. I'm just happy you're okay."

Anna wasn't the only one who witnessed half of Elsa's panic attack. There were healers, wounded and healed thieves, Rapunzel and Aphrodite whom saw the whole attack. Aphrodite never saw in her whole life someone could ever get such an extreme episode. But she just saw her daughter's experience and it wasn't pleasant or good in anyway at all. She only managed to whisper two words. "My baby…" She whispered and no one but her heard. She left Elsa whole, healthy and just a perfect little girl. Now her little girl was returned to her broken, weak, tortured, injured and afraid. Was what she just observed was a way from God to show her the results of her greatest mistake of abandoning her daughter? To show her how her selfish act ended up literally destroying her baby?

Rapunzel was the only one who looked over to see Aphrodite's frozen and horrified state and she felt her heart rip in half as she saw the broken mother standing there, helpless, concerned for her daughter and even though she couldn't see the tears from under the hood, Rapunzel was able to see the tear-soaked clothes that covered Aphrodite's chest. _What just happened, Aphrodite?_ She thought sadly.

Elsa felt extremely exhausted. Elsa suddenly shook her head and let out a sob and she quickly hid her face behind her hands.

Anna felt sad again. "Don't cry, Elsa." Anna calmed. "Please, don't. You're okay now." Anna tried to hold back her tears. She just couldn't see Elsa cry. She very hesitantly brought a stiff hand up on Elsa's head and started awkwardly stroking Elsa's hair to sooth her. When she saw how Elsa didn't flinch and she would have sworn Elsa relaxed a bit, she smiled sadly and the awkwardness was lost. She brought the other hand on Elsa's shoulder but she quickly recoiled her hand because Elsa was extremely cold that it literally hurt. So she just smiled and kept her hand on Elsa's head and whispered soothing words.

Rapunzel wanted to make the situation less awkward, so she turned to the other people and shooed them away before the closed the door behind her and went to comfort Aphrodite while Anna did the same for Elsa.

The room was so unnaturally silent. The only thing that crawled in Aphrodite's ears were Elsa's soft sobs. She stared with unblinking eyes at her two daughters whom were sitting on the floor, both crying: One with silent tears and the other with sorrowful sobs. Both of her daughters, the ones she swore to protect and save them from their father, were sad and crying. And Crying wasn't a sign that she was a good mother. The signs that she was being a horrible mother kept coming and coming.

"Aphrodite…" Rapunzel whispered and made sure Anna and Elsa couldn't hear. But Aphrodite also didn't hear. She was just still in utter shock. "Aphrodite." Rapunzel shook the mother's shoulder as her voice grew worried. Aphrodite's eyes finally left her daughters and they turned slowly to Rapunzel. Rapunzel never saw such regretful, sorrowful and shocked eyes. Aphrodite's tears were so heavy because of the guilt they carried. They were all over her face.

Aphrodite shook her head slowly at Rapunzel and could only ask one question, "What have I done?" Aphrodite's voice was so full with a regretful tone that Rapunzel never heard something like that from her before. Rapunzel didn't know what to answer, she only lowered her head.

Could things get any worse?

Anna forced herself to stop crying. She stopped stroking Elsa's head, "Come on, Elsa." She said with a gentle sad smile before she placed her hand underneath Elsa's now-touchable cold elbow and made a small pressure on it so that Elsa would understand that it's time to get up.

Elsa nodded slowly as her eyes kept still on the ground. Anna helped Elsa up easily. Both women turned their heads to each other and both smiled sadly a bit at each other. Anna patted Elsa's shoulder one last time before she turned to Rapunzel. "Rapunzel, take Elsa out of the infirmary. I need to talk to my mother." Anna said with such a stern voice that made Rapunzel shiver and a bit afraid at Anna's sudden and _first _strictness.

Rapunzel gave Aphrodite one apologetic look and Aphrodite nodded reassuringly. Rapunzel then moved to stand right next to Elsa. "Come on, Elsa… Let's get you out of here." Rapunzel said gently with a warm smile. Elsa gave Anna a concerned look and Anna gave her a reassuring nod too. Elsa then turned and started walking out of the room, an arm wrapped around her middle and the other hand was clutching the stick.

Before Rapunzel could turn and walk away she grabbed Anna's arm firmly and said one word. "Don't." Rapunzel said with a worried voice.

Anna understood what Rapunzel was saying but her anger was beyond repair. So she only said, "I'll try."

Rapunzel sighed in annoyance since this was all inevitable. She wanted to explain to Anna how her mother was already feeling broken and extremely sad and that she shouldn't make things heavier and worse on Aphrodite, but she couldn't say anything now. She shook her head at Anna and turned to follow Elsa.

Before Rapunzel could close the door behind her, Elsa looked at the hooded woman one last time and saw how the woman was hunched a bit in sadness. Elsa felt a bit confused. Why was this woman sad? She just didn't understand why she herself was concerned for this woman. _Did she care for me!?... Was she sad for me?! _She was really getting confused in this place. First Anna and the others laughed when she did something wrong and now this woman just called her a monster then was suddenly sad about it?_ Anna's Mama is weird_. Elsa thought in wonder. She wanted to swear that she would never want to see this woman again… but why couldn't she? Why _didn't_ she?

* * *

**Uhm. . . What a beautiful reunion?**

**Don't kill me. *hide***

**Song : Safe and Sound – Taylor swift … is what obviously Aphrodite thinks for Elsa.**

**Yeah. . . you will see many unpredictable scenes. :P I really love doing that. So expect ANYTHING in this story. I literally mean anything!**

**Yup… Oh, Aphrodite what have you done. You just didn't know how such a word can trigger horrible thoughts in Elsa's mind. Awhhh… I feel really sad for Aphrodite. :/ Why am I so heartless!? WELL! We learned something about Aphrodite. She's not the strict woman people think she is. We already saw how she used to be when she was with her little Elsa. :') . . . Elsa is not the only one broken. The king is a terrible person who planted extreme fear in both Mother and Daughter. Good thing he didn't have the chance to do the same to Anna.**

**Phew… Anna was here for the rescue. But Anna is really trying not to lose her temper. I can only hope for the best.**

**I had to read a book about panic attacks :P Lol… I wanted to see symptoms and stuff and how to treat the people with such episodes. So yeah… I think Anna read that book too XD**

**GOD DAMN IT! This story is realllllllllllllyyy huge!... I was yesterday thinking of the later scenes and building them up and there are just soo many things! I swear this story could last till next year :P Hahah**

**Next Chapter: Awkward Comforting**

**~Lany**


	23. Awkward Comforting

**Summer is finally here! I can finally focus on the story! Phew. Exams are finished and i am FREEEEEEEE haha.**

**It means... More chaps :)**

**Oh and i'm working on a Trailer for the fic :) So good so far :)**

**Here is the chapter. Enjoy! :)**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXI: Awkward Comforting

Anna heard the door close behind her. She waited a few moments so she could be sure that Elsa and Rapunzel were out of earshot. She turned sharply to her mother with a furious red face. "What… did you… DO!" She yelled.

Aphrodite's eyes shot wide at Anna's voice. "What!? What do you mean 'what did I do'!? I-I didn't do anything!" Aphrodite reasoned. She really was telling the truth. It wasn't her fault she never knew that Elsa was sensitive towards such a word.

"Oh yeah!? I just came in here and found Elsa broken all over, on the ground! Oh and guess what!?" She said sarcastically, "You were the only one with her in the room, as I recall!"

"I didn't t-tell her anything! I just asked her how she was! I-I wanted to know if she was okay!" Aphrodite tried to make her daughter understand her worries for Elsa, but Anna's wrath already took over.

"Don't you lie to me! I always did ask her all that and she NEVER reacted this way!" Anna said and started to approach her mother. "I heard her say 'Monster' many times… Please tell me you did not dare call her that." She said through gritted teeth and closed her eyes for a bit so she could try and calm herself down.

Aphrodite's eyes shot wide as she finally realized why the sudden episode happened.

_That MONSTER!_

She remembered what she said before. And then, everything became clear to her now. _Did she think that I called her that?!... Oh no._

"Are you afraid of her already, mother?!" Anna started again when she saw how her mother was lost in thoughts.

Aphrodite's head shot up and she looked at her daughter in shock, "What?!"

"You've been acting really strange lately! What is happening to you!? What are you hiding?! Ever since Elsa came here and you've been hiding in here all the time!... What mother!? Does she scar you that much!? Huh?! Tell me!"

"You don't understand! I'm not afraid of her! I-I'm just-" Aphrodite tried to say but she was cut off again by Anna's rage.

"You just want to bring everyone down." Anna shook her head at her mother, "Did you act all stern and cold in front of her like you make yourself look like?!" Anna approached her mother even more. Her teeth were gritted and her fists were clenched tight.

"N-No-"

"Did you use a _sick_ way to break her like that, then?!"

"What!? N-No! I would never do that! I care for her more than you know!" Aphrodite defended and shoved her hood down when she started to sweat from the slowly rising anger and stress.

"OH, REALLY!? Well look how that ended up for you!... FOR HER! I've been trying to help her ever since the day she came here, Mother! She's already broken enough! And I'm trying as much as I can to help her stand on her feet again!"

"C-Could you just… Listen to me!" Aphrodite wanted to explain to her daughter how she did not mean to say the word Monster to Elsa and that she just meant it to her unreasonable father.

"NO! I've had enough listening to you! Can't you see that she is already scared! It would take forever to just make her even speak! Do you realize what you've done!? You just hurt her more than you'll ever know!"

Aphrodite gasped and felt daggers through her heart. Anna would never realize the scar those words just made._ I did her hurt her, didn't I?… I know how I hurt her! I know what I did! I know how I ruined her entire life! I know I'm selfish! I know how broken and sad she is and IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF ME!_ "Anna…!" Aphrodite breathed with a voice so weak and sad that came out a bit like a squeak.

"Nobody in this god damn place know how kind and sweet she is! They all think she is a monster!... A-And I can't believe that you do too! Did you tell her that, Mother, huh?! Did you tell her she was a monster!?"

Aphrodite lowered her head and hugged herself. "I-I didn't mean-" She tried to say again but stopped at Anna's gasp.

"OH MY GOD! So you DID?! How could you!? She never did any harm to you!"

"Anna… Please… Stop…" Aphrodite couldn't take it anymore. She whispered as she tried to stay strong while her raging daughter threw words that cut deeper than knives at her. She felt so vulnerable in front of her daughter. She was utterly already ashamed and sad and began to tremble but Anna was oblivious to all that. She never felt so little in front of Anna's now-majestic voice. _I love her more than you'll ever know! She did nothing wrong to me! I did everything!_

"How could you be so cold!? Didn't you see what her own stupid father did to her!?" Anna's anger started to turn to sadness as she remembered when she first saw Elsa in the dungeons. "She has no one, mother! No one! She is all alone… If her own family abandoned her, who would ever care about her, then?! She was at last starting to feel happy a bit with us…" She trailed off as her wrath returned, "But YOU had to ruin everything!"

"I did not… MEAN anything like that to happen!" Aphrodite started to lose her own temper.

"Then explain! Why did you do it! Why were you just standing there and watching her instead of helping her!-"

"No, I'm-"

"-She doesn't need to be afraid more than she already is! She has no place to stay! No place to dry her eyes! No one to trust, but us! She is human too for god's sake! She has feelings! Unlike YOU!" Anna said right before she gasped and slapped her mouth with her hand. But it was too late. The words were out. The damage was done.

Aphrodite's face transformed from shock to sad then it suddenly grew terrifyingly furious. "Mind. Your. Language. And know your place… Daughter." She warned and reminded through gritted teeth with a tone that made Anna actually feel a bit afraid. "When I tell you that I did not mean it, it means 'I. did not. Mean. It.'" Her voice started to rise, "You think I want that for Elsa?! You think I wanna see her like that?! You think it doesn't KILL ME to see her like that!?" It was her turn now to advance and _attack _with words, "If you dare say I'm heartless you are very wrong. I have done things you could never imagine, for your own sake! I have saved your life! Do you know that?!" Aphrodite couldn't take it anymore. Her eyes flared in rage and her fists clenched tight and Anna started to back away. "You would have ended up just like Elsa, if it weren't for me! You never did appreciate anything I did for you! You never knew how your life would have ended up if I did not do the stupid things for your own good! I have decided to live with AND heal thieves so you could have a safe home!... A-Away from the real danger!"

_What?! What is she talking about?!_ Anna thought, bewildered.

"I have r-ruined someone's WHOLE life so you c-could get yours!" Her voice trembled at the thought of her poor Elsa.

Anna's eyebrows furrowed in worry and confusion. "W-what are you sayi-"

"Did you ever wondered how I feel!? Have you ever even asked?! NO! You never did! You never saw how I cry every night for what have happened to my life! How it all turned to hell just like that!" She snapped her fingers to show her point, "You were so ignorant and just thinking about stealing and satisfying those stinking thieves of yours and forgot about your own mother!"

Anna was taking aback by that. _But… I tried my best to join the guild so you could be proud._ Anna thought and started to feel confused and hurt. "But I thought that-" Anna tried to say as tears started to form at the corner of her eyes but was cut off by her mother's voice.

As if Aphrodite heard Anna's thoughts, "You thought that I'm PROUD?! Well, of course NOT! How could I ever be proud of you if all what you ever did was to steal! You think being a thief is something to be proud of!? You think this stupid oath they claim to take is honest?!" She laughed bitterly, "That they steal for the needy and all that crap?!" She said with a ridiculing voice and a silly smile. "A thief is a thief! Nothing more! There is no honour in stealing!... EVER!"

Anna was frozen now as tears streamed down because of her mother's harsh words. "I… I t-thought that's what you always wanted…" Her voice barely came out like a whisper. Her eyes were wide, full with hurt and were staring right at her mother.

"What I wanted!?" Aphrodite asked surprised with a mocking tone but Anna suddenly snapped before her mother could continue.

"I THOUGHT THAT BECOMING A GUILD MEMBER WOULD MAKE YOU PROUD! I did this all for you! And you think I wanted it even!? You think you know things about me, too?! NO! YOU TOO NEVER ASKED ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT I WANT!" Anna suddenly couldn't handle it anymore. Her lip quivered, her clenched fists turned pale and her eyes blurred from tears as she tried to hold herself together and with all her might to stand straight and not to break, but all was gone when she let out a loud sob, turned sharp on her heels and ran outside the room, crying loudly of the sorrows and hurt she was now feeling.

Aphrodite's emotion rollercoaster turned her unaware to Anna's tears. "Come back here, Anna!" Aphrodite called but Anna kept running and crying. "ANNA!" She yelled with an angry voice before suddenly her rage dissipated and it turned to utter sorrow. _No… No! What… What have I done?… WHAT HAVE I DONE!? Anna! Anna, no please! Come back!_ Aphrodite yelled in her head since now she just made both of her daughters cry. Her breath quickened and she turned angrily and shoved everything off the table violently with a raging scream. Ingredients flew off in every direction. Every vile and jar that were on the table flew to the ground and made a loud crashing sound. She started to shake before she let out a loud regretful sob and collapsed to the floor, crying. _Anna, I'm sorry! Why is this happening to me!?... What did I ever do to deserve this?! _She thought as she placed her hands on her head and cried while rocking herself back and forth. _Elsa… Anna… Why?... Why?!_

* * *

Elsa's eyes were going from the right to the left and then the other way around as she watched Rapunzel pace back and forth in front of the infirmary in unease. Many people who were coming in and out of the infirmary, took a very careful distance from Elsa. Many had fear splattered all over their faces and very few passed as if she was just a normal woman; probably the ones who never knew about Elsa's abilities or heard the rumours or saw what she did. Some even presumed she might be some other badly injured guild member.

_Agh! Anna what the hell are you going to do!?_ Rapunzel thought in anxiety before she groaned in frustration and rubbed her aching temple. _Your mother doesn't need more sadness in her life for goodness' sake! _She stopped pacing and turned to face Elsa with a concerned face.

"Elsa?... You have to know that whatever Aphr- L-Leanna… Whatever Leanna did, she never meant to hurt or scare you! She really cares about you more than you'll ever know! I swear it!" Rapunzel tried to clarify to the confused princess.

Elsa turned her head away and looked at the ground with furrowed eyebrows to prove her doubts.

Rapunzel felt even more worried about that. "Elsa, please believe me. Leanna really wanted to see you! Whatever she said, she never meant any harm. I just know it because I know her very well! And she really cares about you! You have no idea how much you are important to her." Rapunzel tried to avoid as many hints as she could but she just couldn't leave Elsa to be scared of her own mother.

Elsa looked back at Rapunzel slowly. _But she called me a… Monster… She knows what I am._ Elsa thought sadly. She felt wetness on her cheek and she knew they were tears. She suddenly groaned in rage, "Why am I crying!? Monster don't feel!... They don't feel!" Elsa said desperately as she wiped her tears angrily.

Rapunzel's eyes widened. "What?... No! Elsa stop it! You are not a monster at all! Why do you keep saying that?!" Rapunzel said before she stared right into Elsa's eyes in determination, "Now, you listen to me." She said, pointing at Elsa, "You are really the sweetest and kindest person I ever met!" Rapunzel honestly confessed. But Elsa looked like she did not even hear. It looked like Rapunzel's words did not even reach Elsa's mind because of the thick, huge walls of the terrible and bad thoughts of all those years of getting tormented and taunted against herself.

"Is Anna mad because of… me?" Elsa suddenly asked and felt ashamed.

Rapunzel took a deep breath then smiled sadly at Elsa. She approached her but didn't dare to touch her just like how Anna could have done, since she did not know what Elsa would have done if she did. "No, Elsa… No, no, not at all. She's not mad because of you. She's just… She's just trying to protect you because…" She trailed off and her smile grew wider. "Because she really cares about you, Elsa. She really, really does." _Because she's your sister after all._ Rapunzel would have sworn she saw Elsa smile a bit.

_Really?! She cares about me? _Elsa thought happily.

"Rapunzel! Elsa!" Flynn's voice suddenly called happily and brought both women out of their conversation.

Rapunzel turned joyfully to her lover's voice and her smiled reached her ears when she saw him approach with Aiden and Kristoff. She ran to him and wrapped him in a big hug.

Elsa on the other hand felt the extreme fear and worry back as the men approached. She looked away, bit her lip and held the stick tightly while her right arm wrapped around her middle. Her eyes hovered around the ground in utter nervousness since there was nowhere to hide as Rapunzel left her side and went to hug her boyfriend. Elsa did not dare to look up and meet the men's eyes what so ever. She kept them firm to the ground and tried fearfully to avoid the men.

"Hey Elsa!" Kristoff waved over towards the Princess who did not even acknowledge him. "Rapunzel!" He called playfully before he gently high-fived the blonde woman whom was still hugging her lover.

"Where have you guys been?" Aiden asked Rapunzel before he gave both girls a smile but he unconsciously had a bigger one for Elsa in which she did not see at all.

"Oh, uhm… We were just changing Elsa's bandages." Rapunzel replied and decided not to tell the men about Elsa's episode.

Flynn broke the hug and smiled at Rapunzel fondly while brushing his thumb on her cheek before he turned his head to Elsa. "How are you, Elsa?" He asked softly.

Everyone turned to look at Elsa whom at Flynn's question, felt utterly nervous. Her shoulders lifted up, her nails dug into the stick and her eyes darted fast around the ground again in unease. She inhaled shakily before she finally managed to just nod quickly without even lifting her eyes to look at the thieves and avoided eye contact as much as she could.

_Well, at least that's an answer._ Flynn thought.

Rapunzel saw Elsa's stressed figure so she smiled sadly at her before she went to stand at her side, so she could somehow give her comfort. "Elsa is feeling better, now." Rapunzel clarified with a gentle voice, "We were just waiting for Anna." She said before her face turned a bit worried again.

The men smiled and nodded, understanding that Elsa was still extremely more afraid of men in particular.

_That piece of shit!_ Aiden thought angrily at the King because of how he treated Elsa and ended up making her petrified and traumatised towards everything. "Oh it's okay, then. We'll fetch her." Aiden suggested and tried to hide his anger, then, "Come on, Kristoff." He called and motioned for him to follow to the infirmary.

Both men went inside and left Rapunzel, Flynn and a nervous Elsa.

Rapunzel turned to Flynn and whispered in his ears, "I need to talk to you about something." She said with a concerned yet serious voice.

Flynn nodded as he noticed the seriousness in Rapunzel's voice.

While Rapunzel started to explain to Flynn the past event whilst making sure Elsa couldn't hear, Elsa just stood there and watched some people come in and out of the infirmary. Some, like always, waved, some even bowed but of course many averted their eyes from Elsa's and would walk far round her, afraid that if they looked or walked pass her, she might have frozen them in place. But Elsa was unaware to all that and her mind was focused on someone else.

* * *

"Hey, June?" One of the passing woman whispered to her friend.

"Hm?" June stopped her tracks and turned to face her friend.

"How about we introduce ourselves to her highness?" The woman said with an excited smile as she stared at Elsa whom was staring at the infirmary's main entrance and clearly lost in thoughts.

June's eyes widened. She quickly grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her away from Elsa. "Are you crazy!?" She whispered in urgency, "She will freeze you where you stand, Denise!"

Denise rolled her eyes at her paranoid friend, "Oh, don't be ridiculous! Look at her! She's a normal human with feet, hands, a heart and eyes-... Uh... Even though they are unnatural but still!"

"Hands that could kill you without even an effort. And eyes that could freeze you if you look at them." June corrected.

"Agh! Don't tell me you believe in this latest rumour!" She scoffed then, "'Eyes that could freeze you if you look at them'" She repeated in a mocking tone. "Pah! This is all gibberish. Besides, Anna and Rapunzel look happy around her. They don't look scared... or frozen."

"Denise, please don't do this! This is crazy!" June said as she kept her grip tightened around her friend's arm so she couldn't allow her to walk to her icy doom.

"Come on, June! She looks harmless!" Denise encouraged.

"But harmed." June said flatly as she stared at Elsa's injuries. "Don't you remember? They said they got her out of the dungeons! These thieves are crazy! Of course she'd been locked away for a reason! And that reason was definitely to protect the people from her. Denise... She destroyed the sanctuary! They spent two days trying to remove her ice. I don't even know why they are keeping her here." She started pulling her friend away again, "She's dangerous, Denise, and I care about you too much to let you stupidly walk to your own death." She said and pulled Denise away from Elsa.

When Elsa's eyes turned at them, Denise's face lit up and she waved but June gasped in horror and started pulling her friend faster. "Look away! Move! Move! Move! She's on to us!"

Denise laughed aloud at her friend's silliness, "But she's royalty!" Denise tried to reason with a giggle but June didn't listen and kept pulling her away. Denise finally gave up, glared at her friend and crossed her arms in defeat before she huffed in annoyance, "Fine."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Elsa stood there and just stared blankly at the entrance door, not knowing the rumours that were running around the fort about her. She heard some murmurs and whispered from her right and she turned her head to see a waving woman being dragged by another. She tilted her head in confused as if she was looking at maniacs then turned her head back to door. She just hoped that Anna would finally come out of that door, but the girl never came out and Elsa started to worry.

* * *

Aiden and Kristoff kept asking the healers about Anna's whereabouts but all of them seem that they didn't notice her until finally one of the old healers replied, "I saw the poor girl rushing out of Leanna's room and crying."

"What do you mean crying?!" Aiden asked in worry.

"We tried to call her but she just kept going. We don't actually know what happened in there with her mother, but it doesn't look good. I can tell." The old man said.

"How long since that happened?!" Kristoff asked as utter concern splattered his face.

"Not so long, son. She ran out just now." The healer replied.

Kristoff and Aiden exchanged concerned looks before they quickly dashed out the infirmary to find their best friend… or crush, for Kristoff.

* * *

Anna shoved open the door and tried to run as fast as she could away from sight. "ANNA!" She heard her mother call but she just kept running and earning concerned and confused looks from the healers and people she passed by. Many started calling her but she kept sprinting, crying, sobbing and trying to hide her fallen tears as she kept her head low.

_She lied to me!... All these years and I thought I was making her proud!_

"What happened in there?" She heard one man say right before she turned around a corner and kept sprinting towards a simple door which was definitely not the front main one.

* * *

The main entrance door of the infirmary flew open and revealed two men, panting and choking for air.

The couple and Elsa turned to the sudden sound with confused looks that turned concerned as they witnessed the worry that haunted Kristoff and Aiden's faces.

"Aiden? Kristoff?... What happened? Did you find Anna?!" Rapunzel asked as she approached the men.

Both men's breath was fast. "They said… The healers said that… They saw her running out of her mother's room and crying!... We don't know… What happened! None of the healers know too." Aiden breathed before he straightened his back, then, "They have no idea where she is!"

"We need to find her!" Kristoff's voice came out more like a plea of desperation.

Hearing this, Elsa felt suddenly overwhelmed with concern and fear for Anna. Why was she feeling all this specifically for this woman? She had no idea, but she did not like these worries. Her head started to look around as if she would have found and located her.

"Then come on! What are you waiting for!? Let's go!" Flynn said before he readied himself to start the search.

"But we have no idea where she could be!" Aiden noted and stopped him.

_Oh heaven knows what happened between Aphrodite and her!_ Rapunzel thought worriedly. _What did you do Anna?_

"We'll just split up and look everywhere!" Kristoff suggested.

While the thieves were yelling in worry at each other and trying to figure out where to start the search, it was only Elsa who suddenly heard a door open roughly, followed by cries and sobs. She quickly turned around to see Anna rushing out of an old wooden door that was at the back of the infirmary. Her face lit up when she saw her but it quickly turned to a complete concerned one when she heard and noticed that Anna was crying. She felt her heart rip in two at seeing Anna like that. _Why is she crying?!_ She was the only one who saw Anna disappear into an alley between two shacks that were behind the infirmary building.

Elsa started to panic. Not the type of panic she just experienced but the type of a panic when you feel urgent and don't know what to do. She quickly turned to the thieves so she could tell them somehow, but how could she? There were _four_ huge men in front of her and there was no way she was going to speak to them. Maybe to Rapunzel? Just when she opened her mouth to try and call Rapunzel very hesitantly, she noticed that Rapunzel was already locked in a worried conflict with the men and fear was all over her face. Elsa then closed her mouth and knew that if she called Rapunzel, she would turn the men's attention to herself, and she didn't want that… At all. She started very awkwardly to wave for Rapunzel to get her attention without drawing the men's eyes on her, but Rapunzel was too busy worrying and arguing with the men and didn't notice Elsa. Elsa started to fiddle with her braid nervously. She was running out of time and she didn't know what she should have done. Should she have followed Anna? Should she have stayed and waited for Rapunzel to be alone so she could tell her? She didn't know. Her head started to dart from Rapunzel and the alley that Anna just went through. Her head went back and forth, back and forth as she tried to decide. Her heart started to race. _What should I do?! What should I do!?_ Her head then turned to one side and-

Decision made.

* * *

Kai sat on the stony floor tiredly. His arms were on his knees and the back of his head rested on the wall. He was staring at ceiling and just trying to forget his pain. None of the prisoners spoke. All of them were tired and injured from the king's interrogation techniques. It was utter silence. A thought ran through Kai's mind and he suddenly opened his mouth to ask, "Why did you do this?" He bluntly and suddenly asked, making the prisoners' ears perk up in eagerness to know what he was talking about.

"What are you rambling about, old man?" A rough man's voice asked that he recognised as Razor.

Kai's eyebrows furrowed in confusion and wonder. "Why didn't you tell him anything?... About _her_… About her escape." He clarified. He just didn't understand why would careless criminals didn't spill anything for the king. But he presumed it was definitely to tease him since all of them despised and loathed the mere sight of him.

A moment of silence hovered around the dungeon room.

"Well…" A woman's voice started, "Let's just say that… You aren't the only one that has something for the princess." The woman confessed.

Kai was really confused now. He turned his head to the voice to find that it was from the foreign woman, Saja, whom was in the cellar that faced his. He approached the bars as eagerness and curiosity filled him. "What do you mean?"

Razor sighed from the right side of his cellar, "We've known the woman since she was nothing but a little girl, old man. She practically grew up in here with us."

"Oh I just did that t' piss the king off." Oga, the old wrinkled woman said. "But I also did it just to help ye all bastards, since ye hold the princess dearly."

"Just cut the crap Oga and admit that the princess got on your soft side." Another man called from the last cellar at the end of the room.

"I don't have a soft side, ye big moose!" Oga lied.

The man only rolled his eyes.

"But I don't understand…" Kai started, "How come you… You are criminals! You are here for being selfish thieves and murderers!" He accused.

"Thank you?" Saja joked.

_How come people like them do such a good thing for Elsa? _He thought, confused.

Every prisoner was now interested in the topic as they all stood right behind their cellar bars.

Razor groaned in frustration, "Agh, for god's sake! You think we're proud of what we've done before, old man?!"

"The harsh and poor life can force you to do many horrible things. We are human too." Another woman called from Kai's left side.

"We never chose to become thieves, assassins or..." Razor paused then waved his hand towards Saja's cellar, "Prostitutes."

"You think if we had a better choice or option to build a new life we wouldn't have taken it?" Saja asked as she turned to look at Kai.

Kai didn't know what to say to that. Of course no one would choose a life of a criminal.

"I myself was imprisoned for being..." Saja said before she sighed, "For being a prostitute." She revealed, shame all over her face.

Kai frowned and felt disgusted at the woman's history.

Saja lowered her head then sat on the ground and rested her back to the bars, not able to look at anyone's judging eyes. "I was only fourteen years old. My family died because of a plague that hit our village. They decided to burn the village down and I had no home."

Everyone was listening attentively.

"I was an orphan. Scattered on the streets. No one would help me, no one would feed me. Some would even chase me away or hit me." She winced at the bad memories, "Then... When I discovered that the thing that can bring you gold enough to feed you… W-Was right between your legs," She trailed off as she felt the wave of shame and closed her eyes, "For a starving fourteen year old girl that haven't ate in five days and just wanted to survive... I had no other choice. And... And then it continued, you know?"

Kai's face suddenly softened and he looked at the woman with sadness and sympathy. Maybe he shouldn't have judged after all. _The harsh life really might force you to do horrible things sometimes. _He thought.

Suddenly Saja laughed. Kai lifted his head and looked at her in confusion. Then, Saja spoke, "I remember when I told my story to the princess. She was still very young... I knew that since her voice was still the squeak of a little girl... I didn't even see her. We just talked between cellars and bars." She turned and looked at Kai, "You weren't here yet. It was probably two years before you came in. So she was maybe around ten years old."

Kai stared at her in disbelief. "Why would you say something like that to a child, then?"

Saja shook her head, a smile on her face. "I am pretty sure that her child mind didn't understand most of what I meant but..." Her face suddenly fell into sadness, "Nevertheless, do you know what she told me?"

Kai-and the others who already knew- waited for her to continue.

Saja took a deep breath through her nose, "She told me... That she would have done the same thing and because I had no other choice and it wasn't my fault... and that if I hadn't done it I would have died of starvation." She said before she felt her cheeks wet from... tears? "How can a little girl know how to say that?"

Kai now felt crushed. He already knew Elsa wasn't stupid. He did live in the castle with her for six years so he knew how intelligent and smart little Elsa was. Why would the universe lock someone so good and pure away from everything?

"What an awkward comforting that was." Oga said sarcastically, "A little girl comforting an adult woman, when it should have been the other way around. How about you tell Kai how your need of comfort from a small girl ended up for her."

Saja suddenly groaned in rage, "When he heard us... That bitch Mad! He ran like a fucking dog to tell the king how Elsa was '_having fun_' with us, as he called It. That bastard king of course didn't listen to her and he beat her that day so hard that it was the last time she ever dared speak to any of us again."

"After that we never heard her speak again." Razor said, "We only heard her screams and pleads when those two assholes entered her cellar… Until you came. She started to speak again a bit."

Everyone felt their body temperature rise from the boiling rage they were keeping for the king's cruelty.

"The princess was only a little cub when she first came here." Oga started, "Well… Somehow that rascal thing triggered silly and stupid feelings in us."

Kai smiled at Oga's answer. Even though it was a harsh one, the old cranky woman was trying to hint that she did care for Elsa in an indirect way.

"Elsa saved us many times from our punishments, Kai." Saja revealed.

Kai's face turned to a confused one again. _What are they talking about? Did she convinced her bastard father to spare them?_ He thought and wondered if the king somehow listened to his daughter for once at least. "How did she? She was locked just as you guys were. Did the king listen to her-"

"She took them herself." Saja cut him off. Her voice was heavy with sadness and regret.

Kai's eyes widened as his thoughts were corrected. The king was still vicious and inhuman after all.

Razor laughed sarcastically, "The king _did_ listen to her, oh yes!... He did not listen to her pleads to spare us but he did listen and obliged when she offered herself to take our punishments."

"We tried to tell her not to do it," Another man started, "We tried to tell her not to accept such a thing for the sake of unworthy and stupid criminals like us, but… That girl is stubborn."

"Don't you remember last time she did that?" A woman who was at the right cellar of Saja's asked. "Don't you remember the day she took my punishment?"

Kai remembered that this was the woman that Elsa accepted the punishment of, five days before her escape.

"Don't you remember how she told us that this was the only thing that would remind her that she is a princess and not just a monster?"

"How so?" Kai asked.

"Somehow we think she is trying to prove to herself that she is the princess who would protect and save her people." He shook his head sadly, "People like us... We don't deserve her courage... She is not a monster like she thinks she is." He said before he started to feel his anger rising, "But that shit-headed Mad and her fucking father were always there to hurt her and force her to believe things she's not!" Razor slammed his fist to the ground, "They've been doing that ever since they brought her here, remember!?"

_How could I forget?_ Kai thought sadly.

"We… We always tried to think of a way to repay her. But what could we ever do behind bars?" Saja said before she knocked on the iron bars to prove her point.

"So it means…" Kai trailed off as the idea was now clear.

"Not telling that son of a bitch of a father about how she escaped was an opportunity and is-" Razor groaned in pain as he clutched his stomach where the king and Mad beat him. He took a deep breath, then continued, "The least we could do for her." He paused, then, "Even if it was painful."

"She lived a more horrible life than any of us." A man scoffed then, "And to think that all royals live in heaven." He deadpanned.

"How can a father be this… Well… There is no word to describe such a beast." Saja said angrily at the king. "Even animals don't do that to their own pups or cubs."

The room fell silent again, then, "That's no father… That's no human either!" Razor admitted.

"And to even think of bringing a maniac necromancer like that dog, Mad!" Saja continued as her anger grew.

"I have killed many through my years of freedom. But I can tell you… I would never do that to my own daughter." A man confessed. _That I miss so much._

Kai winced at the man as he confessed his murderous life but he felt a bit of mercy for him when he said that he would never do what the king did to his own offspring.

Yet another silence fell.

"Who d' ye think these people were?" Oga suddenly asked.

All the prisoners and Kai started to wonder before suddenly, a voice spoke.

"Those are thieves from the Woodland guild."

Everyone turned their heads towards the voice.

There, a man sat behind the bars, his eyes closed, his back to the wall and his arms on his knees.

"How did you know?" Kai asked in surprise. "What is this Woodland guild?"

"I cannot say what the guild is for. But I know they are from the guild." He paused, then, "I noticed their attire…. I can recognize that armour wherever I go… not that I can go anywhere, anyway." He said as he gestured around his cellar.

Everyone was now curious to know the man's story.

"My name is Nohad. And the truth is…" The man trailed off, "I was one of them… A very long time ago."

"And how did you ended up in here?" Kai asked.

"Well… I was sent on a mission here to try to take anything from the castle. But… I ended up being spotted."

"By whom?" Saja asked.

The man laughed quietly a bit, opened his eyes, then, "By a little four year old girl with platinum hair."

Everyone's eyes widened at the man's words. Some whispers and murmurs were heard around the dungeon cellars.

"I never knew that I ended up inside the princess's bedroom." Nohad said. "It was dark in the castle. I was young and new to the guild and all what I wanted was to take what would be enough to satisfy the guild." He shook his head in amusement, then, "I remember suddenly hearing a scream and I turned around to see a scared little girl with cyan eyes… And all of a sudden my feet were frozen in place… Literally." He sighed, "The last thing I remember was seeing the guards rush inside the room before I fell unconscious and then woke up in this wretched place."

The others felt a bit sorry for him until Saja spoke, "And you blame Elsa for that?" She asked a bit annoyed at the man.

Nohad stared blankly at the woman, "Well… I used to, of course. But after she was brought here two years later suddenly for no reason, and what she been through in this hell, I couldn't blame her anymore. She already received what no one deserves. I would never wish that upon anyone."

Kai felt strangely a bit sympathetic for these prisoners since it turned out that every one of them had a soft spot for Elsa. He realized that the real bigger criminal was then the heartless and malicious father himself.

"Is it weird that…" One woman started with a bit of giggle, "Is it weird that I miss the princess?" Her voice was happy.

The prisoners and Kai chuckled a bit.

"I remember when she first came here… She used to ask us if we want to build a snowman with her." He laughed gleefully, "Innocent child she was… We first thought she was crazy or something. But the day you came she revealed her powers when that… Mad," He more like spat the name, "Whipped her for the first time. So… It was when we knew that she used to build snowmen in her cellar using her powers, until…" He trailed off and made Kai confused.

Saja sighed and offered to continue, "Until the king found out and he didn't feed her for a whole week to a point where she didn't even had the energy to move." Saja didn't know what happened to her. A sob suddenly escaped her mouth and she slid down the bars and hid her mouth, "She was so small!... Only six! She was just a little girl who wanted to have fun or do anything to keep her mind distracted from all the pains in that GOD DAMN CELLAR!" Saja stopped herself and backed away from the bars so that no one could see her tears.

"She used to be more active in her cellar in the first years… It's like… With each passing day, he took away things from her soul until she stopped doing anything at all. First the snowmen… then the speaking… and so on. She at last became horribly broken and just sat there… more like laid unconscious in her cellar and didn't dare even move." Razor explained sorrowfully.

"Well would ye look at that?... At least the dungeon is no longer cold, right?" Oga joked to lighten the mood.

"Trust me… It became colder in her absence." Saja called out.

Everyone stayed silent at that. They knew what Saja meant and she was telling the truth.

"Do you think she survived?" Razor asked with a bit of worry in his tone.

"Poor thing…" Oga said sadly, "I can't get 'er image out of me head." She said as she remembered the horrifying condition she last saw Elsa in when the thieves got her out of that wretched cellar. "The last time I saw 'er enter that cellar, she was only six... Aye, I was pretty shocked when these thieves were carrying a full grown woman out this hell." She said while pointing at Elsa's cellar.

Of course because of Elsa's thick metal door, no one had been able to take a look at her or see her. The only evidence that she was present was her screams of pain and cries of sorrow, or the pale shackled hands that sometimes would appear behind the lower bars of the door.

"I never realised it's been so long." Razor said, "I... I think she survived… Right?" He asked hopefully.

Everyone turned to look at Elsa's still-frozen cellar.

"We can only hope." Kai said before he sat right back on the ground, hoping and praying for God that Elsa would be fine and well.

* * *

**Awww... these criminals are growing on me. :')**

**Anyway!... I'm sorry it took me long but i was in the middle of exams. AND i was working a bit on fixing the old chapters. I have one thing to ask:**

***take deep breath***

**HOW THE HELL WERE YOU GUYS ABLE TO READ SUCH A STORY WITH SO MUCH BAD GRAMMAR AND PUNCTUATION AND SHIT!**

**Holy cow, i was cringing and wincing myself every time i discovered a mistake. I'm still trying my best to learn how to write properly. Bear with me I NEVER WROTE ANYTHING MY WHOLE LIFE! I'm still fixing chapter 5 and didn't do the later ones cause proofreading takes a lot of time XD**

**Next Chapter: Warm Hug, Cold Fort**


	24. Warm Hug, Cold Fort

**I love this chapter. It was really fun to write. :)**

**Enjoy! And review ;)**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXII: Warm Hug, Cold Fort

Brandon was heading towards the infirmary… More like to Aphrodite, when he noticed the three young thieves and the ice harvester were locked in a serious argument, yet Anna and Elsa were nowhere to be seen. He was confused a bit but he just shrugged it off and entered the infirmary.

"Hey, Brandon." One of the healers greeted as he tended to an injured young boy who seemed to have scratched his elbow.

"Hey, Durwin." Brandon replied distractedly while looking around the room, "Uhm… Have you seen Leanna?"

"Oh, I've seen her alright." Durwin said with a bit of mock in his voice. "She was busy having some sort of a fight with Anna after what looked like she did something to this… Ice princess or whatever."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait! What do you mean a fight with Anna?!... and Elsa!?" He asked, totally bewildered.

"Oh, so that's what's her name is!... Elsa. Hmmm… Not common around he-"

"Can you please focus for a god damn second and tell me where she is?!" Brandon yelled, irritated at the man's ignorance and carelessness.

"She's probably in her room." Durwin replied.

Brandon didn't wait for another second. He quickly dashed towards Aphrodite's room, hoping to find her there and understand what happened.

When Brandon arrived at the Queen's room, he did not even knock. He quickly pushed the door open to find the figure of Aphrodite knelt on the ground, crying. His eyes widened and he quickly closed the door behind him before he practically sprinted towards her, "Aphrodite!"

Aphrodite shot her head up and revealed her tearful face. "Brandon…" Her voice was barely heard.

Brandon quickly knelt next to her, "What happened?! Are you alright?!" He asked concerned.

Aphrodite shook her head as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and helped her up, then to her bed. When they sat, Aphrodite was only able to say, "No Brandon… No… Nothing is alright! Everything is wrong!" She suddenly let out a loud sob and started shaking from the cries she erupted.

Brandon quickly wrapped both arms around her in a hug, royalty and titles be damned. The woman was still in need of great comfort and he wasn't going to just sit aside and watch her cry just because she was the Queen and he was a low thief. "Hey, hey… Calm down, I'm here. Just tell me what happened." He said gently as he hugged her tighter.

"I-I don't know, Brandon… I don't know! I-It's… It's too much! Why does this k-keep happening to me?!" She managed to say through her sobs.

Brandon started to feel the wetness on his chest because of the fast and heavy tears Aphrodite was producing.

"I d-did it again, Brandon!... I did it again!" He heard Aphrodite's muffle as she buried her face in his chest.

"What did you do, Aphrodite? Just tell me… I'm here. You're not alone." He soothed and started rubbing her shaking back, hoping that it would calm her down. He already knew how Aphrodite cried every night because how her life and daughter's ended up. He remembered the day he brought the news from Arendelle that Princess Elsa died from an unknown reason.

* * *

**Brandon's Flashback**

Brandon stood in front of Aphrodite's bedroom door, shaking in unease and nervousness. _How the hell am I going to tell her that her daughter is dead?!_ He thought in anxiety. He had no idea how he should have told the Queen about her daughter's mysterious death. He wanted to keep it a secret and tell her later but he knew that that was something that shouldn't be hid. He sent one of the best guild members to go take a look about what was happening in Arendelle. And when the man arrived back, the first thing he was able to do, was to give Brandon a piece of paper, announcing the news of the deceased Princess. Brandon was pretty shocked to the news. And especially since they said that the princess died of a mysterious disease and that the poor kind king was devastated and heartbroken at the loss of his only daughter.

Brandon gulped nervously and knocked on the door. "L-Leanna?... I-It's me. Brandon."

He heard light footsteps, then the door opened and revealed a tired Aphrodite. "Oh hey, Brandon. Come in." She greeted and turned to enter her room.

Brandon entered slowly and closed the door behind him. "Is Anna alright? Is she well?" He heard Aphrodite ask.

"Y-Yes, yes! She's great, actually." He stuttered and fidgeted with the paper in his hands that carried the horrifying news.

"Oh?... Then to what do I own this pleasure?" She asked playfully as she distracted herself by preparing a cup of tea.

Brandon stayed silent for a moment, then, "A-Aphrodite… C-Can you sit for a moment?" He asked and shoved the paper in his pocket, deciding that this wasn't a good way of telling her the bad news. He was going to try and talk to her slowly and not bluntly. He would try anything to make her feel better and make it easier.

Aphrodite turned from the counter with confused, furrowed eyebrows, "Uhm… Okay." She said before she went to her bed and sat and tapped the side of her bed, motioning for the nervous Brandon to take a seat, "Is something wrong?!" She asked worried when she noticed Brandon's nervousness and how he was sweating.

"U-Uhm…" He sat right next to her and she smiled a bit at him. "Now, you listen to me… Promise me you won't freak out, okay?" _OH HELL! What am I saying?! Of course she'll freak out! _"M-Many things happen, A-Aphrodite. And we need to be strong, right? Even if it was a very bad thing. Th-Think of your daughter, Anna! That's what you should right now, am I right?"

Aphrodite's heart started to race, "B-Brandon?... You're scaring me… W-What bad thing?!"

Brandon sighed, "I have bad news… From Arendelle." He said and avoided eye contact.

At the name of the kingdom, Aphrodite's heart dropped and she turned pale. Her mind started to role multiple ideas and imaginations that she really feared that would happen and hoped beyond hope that she was just exaggerating. _Please be alright! Please be alright! Please be alright! _"It's Elsa… I-Isn't it?" She breathed shakily. "I-Is she alright?!"

Brandon now was in a worse situation. _Oh god… What am I going to do?! _"Y-Yes… It's about Elsa."

Aphrodite couldn't take the tension anymore, "SPIT IT OUT ALREADY!" She knew it. She just knew what he was going to say but she didn't want to believe it. She always had the tiniest hope that she would see her daughter again, but now she feared the worst. Her breath started to quicken.

"Elsa was a good kid, Aphrodite. She was-" He was saying but was cut off by Aphrodite.

"Was?!... W-What do you mean 'w-w-was'?" She asked, trembling. When Brandon looked at her with apologetic eyes and didn't answer, her world turned to chaos.

"I'm sorry, Aphrodite." He whispered to her regretfully.

She started to shake her head slowly, "No. . . No. . ." She whispered as she stared at him in disbelief. Her eyes suddenly lost focus on him as she lost herself and stood off the bed and placed one shaky hand on her mouth and the other around her middle. _This is not happening! This is not happening! _

"Aphrodite… just sit-"

"NOOOOOO!... NO NO NO NOOOOOOO!" She screamed and no longer felt her legs. She collapsed to the floor, trembling, "MY BABYYYYYYYYY!" She screamed on the ground like a crazy woman while heavy tears ran down faster than waterfalls under her closed eyes. "MY BABBBBYYYYYYYY!" She screamed again while rocking herself violently on the ground. "ELSAAAAAAAAAA!" She sat on the ground as she screamed, yelled, cried, mourned and wailed and wailed and wailed to her daughter like a howling miserable wolf.

Brandon quickly got up and ran to her side as if he would have gave her comfort but it clearly didn't work. "WHYYYY!?" She said as she placed her elbows on the ground while her head was between them. _SHE'S DEAD! SHE'S DEAD! I SHOULD HAVE HELPED HER ESCAPE! I SHOULD HAVE LOOKED FOR HER! _

"Aphrodite, just c-calm down!" Brandon tried to sooth as he placed his hand on her terribly shaking back.

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" She shrieked, "I LOST HER! I LOST HER! I LOST MY DAUGHTER! I LOST ELSAAAAAAAAA!" Tears wetted her face and clothes as they rushed none-stop across her face. Her heart was pushing its way out of her chest. She felt her heart ache in the most terrible way ever. "It's all my fault! It's all my fault! It's all my fauuuuult!... No, no, NOOOO!"

"I-I-It's not your fault, Aphrodite! Just please-"

Aphrodite's head shot up and she looked to the ceiling as if she was looking at her daughter in heaven, "I'M SORRY, ELSA! I'M SO SORRY! I-… I should have helped you!... I would have killed myself for you! Please forgive me! PLEA-" She couldn't take it anymore. A loud sob escaped her mouth and her head went back to drum the floor in grief.

Brandon quickly wrapped her in a hug even though she was aggressively trying to escape his embrace. She just wanted to be left alone and to never see anyone again. She wanted to stay on the floor and mourn her dead daughter until her last breath. She knew she did not deserve to be comforted or to feel happy ever again. She had made an enormous mistake by abandoning her daughter and now the results were right in front of her eyes: Her daughter, Elsa, died.

_GOD! GOD, PLEASE! Please bring her back to me, pleaaaasee!... She doesn't deserve this! She is so young! _She had been counting the days and mentally celebrating Elsa's birthday and even bought her presents, hoping that one day she would be able to give them to her. Her sweet child would have been twelve this year. But her sweet little girl just died, and twelve she would remain… In grave.

"HOW!?... WHY?!" She screamed again as she tried to push Brandon away. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Aphrodite, stop!" He struggled to keep the broken mother still. He received many punches to his face but he ignored all of them since he knew better.

Finally she gave up her resistance and she buried herself in Brandon's chest as tears soaked his vest. "I hurt her, Brandon!... I HURT HER!" She sobbed and sobbed, "I left her alone and now-… I HURT ELSA!" _My… My little child! I'm so sorry!_

And ever since that day, Aphrodite turned cold, rigid and never ever smiled again, except towards Anna.

* * *

"I hurt Elsa! That's what I did! I hurt her again!" Brandon was brought back from his thoughts by Aphrodite's wails. "A-And… Oh my god, not just that! But A-Anna too!... Anna too, Brandon! ANNA TOO!" She couldn't take it anymore. The guilt, the misery and the stress. She just couldn't live with all this. She clutched to Brandon's vest tightly as she cried and cried and cried, showering Brandon with her heavy sorrows.

"Aphrodite, just calm down, now." Brandon began to get worried. He broke the hug and held her face in his hands so he could make her look at him. "Look at me…" He demanded softly as he stared at Aphrodite's tears; the tears that crushed his heart.

Aphrodite slowly lifted her teary, bloodshot green eyes to meet his brown, soothing ones.

He smiled warmly and fondly at her. "There you are!" He joked to lighten the mood, "Now you are going to tell me what happened and we are going to fix it… Together. Okay?" He reassured with a playful glare.

Aphrodite wasn't sure how they could_ fix_ it. She had done horrible things that no real mother should. She stared at him for a minute before she finally nodded sadly in agreement and gave him the shadow of a weak, sad smile.

* * *

Back in Arendelle…

The king stood tall and proud in front of the large window of his study chamber. His hands were folded behind his back and his shoulders were aligned neatly with his spine. The dark night had darkened the room and hid his wide smirk. His grey eyes gazed smugly at the citizens of Arendelle and the hunters that were preparing themselves in groups for _The Great Cold Hunt_ as they now called it. Pitchforks, swords, daggers, torches, bows, arrows, cross-bows, spears and whatever weapon the citizens could use against The Snow Queen, were being distributed among whomever would join the hunt. 'This hunt shall be written in our history!' One of the hunters had said before when the king announced the existence of _The O' Wicked Snow Queen_ that cursed their lands. The king already promised a sum for the person who would either kill or bring alive the witch. And the hunters considered it as a 'Hitting two birds with a single stone.' They would get their land back to normal and would have a bonus of coin. How delightful. None of those people knew that they were hunting down their own Princess… or more like Princesses and Queen, since the king did not leave out the note that The Snow Queen had minions. All was just going according to his wicked plan.

Mad approached the king and bowed.

"Look at them, Mad." The king said, his eyes not leaving the citizens below. "So willing to save their lands yet so blinded by rage and loathing for my sweet Snow Queen, Elsa. I never knew I was ruling a kingdom with stupid and brainless subjects. It was very easy convincing them."

"Yes, my Lord. Of course… Stupid things they are." Mad agreed. "Once her blood is spilled, Arendelle will be back to normal. I-I assure you, your Majesty. That's the way of sorcery."

"I see…" The king said.

"Once the caster is no longer alive, the spell will be broken. B-But…" Mad trailed off, scared to what the king might have done if he asked his question. "Your Majesty?"

"Hm?" Hummed happily, his eyes gazing his creation.

"I-I was wondering… W-What if… They couldn't…" He gulped nervously, then, "What if they couldn't kill her? I-I mean what if whoever helped her save her from them?"

The king's smirk grew, "Oh don't worry your big bald head about that. There are just so many that want to see Elsa dead on ground. Can't you see? They are forming groups already. From men to women. From citizens to even thugs and dangerous men. But not one actually cares when you shove gold into their eyes." He suddenly let out a wicked laugh, "I can only hope they don't get nasty before they cut her throat."

Mad laughed with him, "Of course, Your Excellency. We can only _hope_." They exchanged smirks before the king spoke again.

"Oh, what a glorious day it shall be the moment she'll be dead… Even better if they'll bring her back to me, alive. I swear to you Mad, I will make her suffer like she never did before." The king vowed.

Mad couldn't agree more.

* * *

Elsa stared at the empty alley, wondering if Anna really did come through here. She gulped before she walked forward, eyes looking around cautiously. Her ears were suddenly perked up by the sound of soft sniffles and sobs. She hurried and followed the sound until she poked her head around the corner and started to look around with more like a curious face. When her eyes landed on a figure who sat on the grass with his back to the shack, Elsa quickly recognized as Anna from the strawberry-blond pigtails that dangled from both sides of her knees, since she hid her face between her knees and wrapped her arms around them. Elsa's eyebrows furrowed in concern and she bit her lip nervously. She took one more glance behind her, making sure no one followed before she started to approach slowly.

Anna had her face buried in her arms and her legs were brought to her chest. She felt a presence and she knew who would come after her anyway. "Rapunzel, l-leave me alone… I don't want to talk to... a-anyone right now." She said through her sobs, still didn't lift her head.

Elsa stopped midway and her eyes widened a bit. She frowned in confusion since she didn't know that Rapunzel followed her. She scratch her head in wonder, then turned to look behind her to see who Anna was talking to, but there was no one there. Only the both of them alone. _Did Rapunzel follow __m__e?_ She thought, confused. She turned back at Anna and her face turned worried and sad again. She slowly decreased the distance between them and sat next to Anna. Yet the redhead still didn't lift her head. Elsa brought her legs to her chest and rested her cheek on her knee as she stared at Anna, not knowing what to do. She made a pout and her cheek had a small bump since it was pushed up by her knee. _Why are you crying?_ She thought instead of asking. She had no idea how the hell to comfort someone. She remembered Anna's ways though. She awkwardly lifted a hesitant gloved hand and stared at it before she started to bring it up on Anna's shoulder, yet she quickly decided not to and recoiled her hand back and hid it in her lap. _No… I could hurt her if I touch her._ She convinced herself. There was no way she was going to touch anyone at all using her monstrous and murderous hands. Words, then? She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it since she also had no idea what to say. She nervously looked around as if she would have found the answer pinned on the wall. After a moment, she gave up her search.

Anna didn't know why _Rapunzel_ wasn't talking. Heck she didn't know why _Rapunzel_ was so cold! She felt as if the girl was radiating chilly waves towards her. Her mind was so confused and angry at her mother that she forgot that Elsa would have been the source of this abnormal wintery things. Truth was, she did not even thought or considered that it might have been Elsa. In which unknowingly, it really was her. "Rapunzel, I said leave me alone… Please." She said before she sniffled.

Elsa's eyes widened again in worry and she started fidgeting nervously with her braid and she would have pulled her hair out, frustrated at herself. _Should I just go?... Should I stay?! Where is Rapunzel anyway! _She thought bewildered since Anna was still insisting that Rapunzel was with them. _Am I Blind?_ She thought innocently. There was no god damn sign of Rapunzel and Anna was still convinced that there was. _I should probably… just go. _Her face turned sad before she picked the stick up and readied herself to get up but- _No! She… She didn't leave me alone before. She was always there for me... I won't leave her alone! _Elsa leaned back again to the wooden wall then rested her cheek again on her knee and made that cute pout again.

"My life is... miserable." Anna muffled to herself, depressed.

Elsa winced a bit. Elsa just didn't understand why Anna said that she had a miserable life. Anna had a home, a family… She had friends and people who loved her. She could eat and drink whenever she wanted and she could do anything she ever wanted. She was never mistreated like Elsa. She was never locked away for fifteen years. She could simply go wherever she wanted to go and live her life in peace. Elsa would have done anything to have a life like Anna's. A life where there was no fear, no pain and you were always having fun. A life where you didn't wait dreadfully every night to be whipped or beaten to the core. A life where you weren't despised by your own family member. Elsa had a miserable life, oh yes. She would have even called it Heaven if she was just at least able to eat every day. Anna should have been happy, not sad. She had a heavenly life according to Elsa. Anna had everything Elsa ever wanted. And lastly, Anna didn't murder her own family.

Elsa gave off a look of determination and made an angry pout at her lack of words then, an idea popped in her head as she remembered Anna's technique of comforting words. Her face lit before she scooted a tiny bit towards Anna with a cute smile. Then, opened her mouth to speak again.

"D-… D-Do you remember… How we had f-fun at night?" She asked awkwardly and bit her lip at her blunt, out-of-nowhere question.

_What…?_ Anna's hidden eyebrows furrowed in confusion at hearing another voice that wasn't even Rapunzel's. Instead her eyes widened when she realized who it was and why it was cold. She quickly shot her head up and whipped her head towards the voice to see a pair of big cyan eyes were staring at her nervously in concern. "Elsa?!" Anna finally spoke and quickly turned her head to wipe her tears, "I-I'm sorry… I d-didn't see you there." She stuttered.

As Anna kept trying to wipe her tears, Elsa decided to continue when a new idea formed in her head. "A-Anna?… Your Mama… loves you?" She asked and knew where she was going with this.

Anna slowly turned to look at her in surprise. "What…?"

"Y-Your Mama loves you… right?" Elsa repeated and looked right into Anna's blue-grey eyes.

Why would Elsa ask her that? Of course she knew the answer though. "Yes! O-Of course she does!... She's... She's my mother, after all." Anna said, still confused on what was Elsa trying to do.

_Is she trying to… comfort me?! _Anna thought.

"Did she ever…" Elsa trailed off and looked away from Anna and turned her eyes on her broken arm. "H-Hurt you?"

"What?... N-No... No, not at all! She never hurt me! S-She was just a bit upset today that's all. She is really nice, Elsa! She would never hurt anyone intentionally." Anna didn't realize she just confessed the true situation until…

"Then why are you crying?" Elsa ultimately asked.

Anna's eyes widened in realization about what was happening right now. Elsa really just made her realize how ridiculous and childish she was being. She was of course sure that her mother loved her… No doubt at all. Of course her mother didn't mean to hurt Elsa or her. It was definitely an accident but her rage turned her blind when she was in conflict with her mother.

Anna didn't know that that's what Elsa ever dreamed of. Dreamed to be loved. That's all what Elsa ever wanted.

"Papa hates me…" Elsa continued, "He h-hurt me a lot." She turned to look away from Anna, then, "That's why I cry… But… I'm not allowed to." Elsa confessed.

Anna gave her a confused look and waited for her to continue. _Not allowed to __do __what?_

After a moment, Elsa hugged her legs to her chest closer, "Papa always used to yell at me if I cry… He said that I shouldn't because I don't have feelings. So… Why are _you_ crying?"

_That bastard! He is the one without feelings! How could he tell her something like that!_ Anna felt guilty about making Elsa use her own awful and horrific past to comfort her. _Oh Elsa…_

"It's just that… I discovered that my mother wasn't proud of me because I'm a thief, Elsa." Anna said before she realized how it sounded. She groaned in frustration and let her head fall in her hands.

Elsa was pretty sure that being a thief was a bad thing, since she was rewarded with a broken arm because of the accusation. But she wasn't going to say that to Anna at all.

_Murderers don't have a right to imply their opinion. _Her father's words once said.

Anna felt sad all over again, "I-I just thought that that's w-what she always wanted!" She said and the tears returned. "Oh Elsa… I'm just so confused!" She suddenly continued to sob again.

Elsa felt her heart rip in half. She just didn't know what to do. She never comforted someone in her whole life. Heck, she never even comforted herself. How the hell would she know how to do it for someone else, then?

She thought a bit again and had an idea that Anna also used, since the only comforting words she ever remembered... or heard, were Anna's. "Hey, hey…" She scooted even closer to a point where their shoulders touched, "Shhhh… I-I'm here, Anna… Don't worry." She said a bit awkwardly with a gentle and warm voice. For the first time in forever, she was the one helping someone out to feel better. And it made her feel… Something new. Was that… Pride?

_No one will hurt you, Anna._ Elsa thought. _I'll… I'll be here…_

"Elsa, I'm so… t-tired of all of this…" Anna said through her sobs, "I don't know what to do, now! I never wanted to be a t-thief. I-I just wanted her to b-be… Proud! A-And happy! W-Why didn't she tell me? Why did she hid all this from me! I just-… I just-" Anna started to rock herself back and forth. "I can't take all this secrecy anymore!"

"It's okay, Anna… I'm here. You're okay." Elsa said and her voice sounded so warm, so caring and… It wasn't the trembling voice of a frightened woman. It was a voice of… Just like a big sister'.

Anna didn't know what happened to her, but at that gentle, soothing voice that came out of Elsa, she felt safe and sound and she couldn't help herself. She was so sad and confused that she wanted to feel comfort in whatever way that she suddenly forgot about all the lines and cautiousness, lunged at her older sister and wrapped her arms around Elsa's waist as she kept sobbing in her unknowingly sister's lap, forgetting about what would Elsa's reaction be. And yet she should have.

Elsa's eyes widened and every single fiber of her muscles contracted and stiffened at Anna's sudden warm hug. She literally was stiff like a rock as she stared with unblinking and utterly nervous eyes at the girl in her lap. Her arms and _dangerous_ hands were held high, away from Anna and she held her breath. She was more like a statue, oblivious to the now-cold fort. _She's so waaaarrmmm!_ What all what Elsa could think of.

The moment Anna lunged herself at Elsa, with a single huge blow of cold wind that descended on the whole fort, the whole hideout turned extremely cold. Spooked horses neighed nervously at the sudden supernatural change of temperature, and every single person inside the fort gasped in horror and confusion as they looked around nervously around them, trying to figure out the source of this abnormal weather. Sheep, pigs and chickens ran around randomly, frightened. Some murmurs and cries were heard around the fort from the shocked and surprised villagers. Some were even pushed down to the ground by the single, yet powerful blow.

"What is happening!?"

"It's so cold!"

Rapunzel, Flynn, Aiden and Kristoff were still arguing when they suddenly were pushed aside a bit by the blow. "What the hell!" Flynn screamed. They all covered their eyes before the blow finally passed, and they lowered their arms to be welcomed with extreme cold temperature. "What was that?!" Rapunzel asked. Suddenly, as their minds finally realized who would be able to do such a thing, they all exchanged looks with huge wide eyes and they all shouted one single word. "Elsa!" They all screamed in unison. They turned sharply to see where they last saw Elsa, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Elsa?... Elsa?! Oh my god! Where is she?!" Rapunzel screamed in worry while looking around.

"Sh-She was right here!" Flynn said.

Rapunzel started pulling her hair and flail her hands, "Oh my god, Flynn! We have to find her! This is not a good sign! She only does that when she's frightened! What if something happened to her! What if someone did something to her!? What if-… What if-"

"Hey, hey, hey calm down! We're going to go look for her!" Flynn assured.

"Oh great! Now both Anna and Elsa are nowhere to be found!" Kristoff said in utter worry and frustration.

"Rapunzel is right, Flynn!" Aiden suddenly yelled, "What If something happened to Elsa! W-What if something happened to Anna, too! We have to find them, now!" The desperation tone of his voice made them even more worried.

The villagers around them heard their conversation and now they remembered that they have an Ice Princess living with them in the fort and that she was the cause of this. Some turned worried as much as the three thieves and Kristoff and started helping them to locate the two sisters. But some growled and muttered angry curses at Elsa.

Everyone started to run around and they all seemed like chickens running from the butcher. They just searched and searched for the princess and thief and hoped to find them good and well.

* * *

Little Zoey was playing outside her shack with her dolly that was now called 'Elsa', even though the dolly was a stuffed toy bunny. "Pew pew pew!" She imagined as if the bunny-shaped toy was shooting ice from its hand. "I can make Ice and Snow!" She said in a playful tone before she laughed at her own imagination.

Her father, Ulric, and her mother, Mary, sat at the porch as they watched their daughter play happily. Mary leaned a bit closer to Ulric, "I'm a bit worried about Zoey… She seems really into this sorceress." She whispered.

Ulric scoffed, then, "As long as this witch is away from my daughter, I'm okay with it."

The three suddenly felt the eruption of the blow of wind that Elsa made and how after it the temperature became cold.

Ulric shot up from his chair in frustration, "It's that DAMN Princess again!"

"Shhhh. Don't let anyone hear you. Most of them are not quite against that witch... Especially your daughter." Mary said as she pointed at her bewildered daughter that was looking around, trying to figure out the cause of the wind.

Everyone around started to look around.

Zoey stopped playing and joined the confusion. _Elsa?_ She thought, worried. _Is she sad? Is she scared? _Zoey turned to face her parents, "Mama! Papa! Elsa is sad!" She said with furrowed eyebrows of worry.

"Don't worry, darling! It's probably nothing!" Mary called back.

Zoey wasn't convinced though. She scratched her head, wondering why Elsa released a blow of wind. Her eyes wandered towards something that caught her attention. She gasped happily as an idea formed in her head. I know how to make Elsa happy! She thought before she started to run off to accomplish her plan.

"Where are you going?!" Ulric called out.

"I'm going to make Elsa happy!" Zoey replied.

"What!? Y-You stay away from her now, okay?!" Ulric demanded.

"I will!" Zoey shouted randomly, not even focused on what she just said. She was going straight to find Elsa.

Ulric groaned in frustration. _Where did this girl get her stubbornness?_

* * *

Elsa's eyes didn't blink, not even once. Her mind was just blank. She didn't know what she should have done. Should she have screamed and frozen Anna in place? Or should she have wrapped Anna in the hug that the girl just threw herself into? Her mind decided to stay frozen and not move a muscle or even twitch an eye from the sudden strong contact… Which was too much contact for Elsa. This was the strangest contact she ever had since her imprisonment. Anna's arms were so warm against her now-extremely cold skin. The contact didn't hurt at all. And that was why exactly it was so strange to her.

Luckily, the hug gave Anna enough comfort to stop crying. If it weren't for her thick attire, she would have sensed how Elsa was actually really cold… More like freezing. Elsa's muscles were so tightened that Anna felt as if she was hugging a cold stone. When Anna realized what she just did, her eyes shot horrifyingly wide that she thought they might have popped out. She quickly relieved Elsa from the hug. "Oh my god! Sorrysorrysorry! Elsa I'm so sorry! I-I was just… U-Uhm j-just distracted by the situation and all! Oh god!" Anna spoke quickly and when she noticed how Elsa was still holding her breath and her eyes were still staring at her lap with arms raised in midair, she couldn't help but panic. _Oh my god she's not even breathing! How can she even hold her breath for so long!?_

"Breathe, Elsa!... Breathe!" Anna called as she waved her hand in front of Elsa's eyes that were already still locked to her lap. Anna bit her lip, "Helloooo?" She sang.

_FUCKING DAMN IT! Why am I such a hugger!?_ Anna thought angrily at herself before she literally slapped herself against her cheek.

Elsa's eye finally twitched before she suddenly exhaled heavily and her arms fell to her lap as she took a nice deep breath. She was panting a bit fast and her expression was just unreadable.

Anna fidgeted with her fingers nervously and worriedly. "Elsa I'm soooo sorry! I swear I won't do it again! I-It's just that… I'm a stinking hugger and I just wanted to hug something and… Oh well, you were- Hehe… The closest thing I could catch." She tried to joke and laughed nervously.

Elsa still didn't acknowledge her. After a moment of panting, Elsa finally turned to look at Anna with a blank face.

Anna braced herself for a panic attack, "Elsa I'm reallyreallyreallyreally sorry! Please believe me! I didn't wanted to force anything or something… I-I-I was just-"

"Anna!" Elsa finally called to stop the crazy girl from panicking.

Anna quickly zipped her mouth by rolling her lips inside it. She stared at Elsa with apologetic eyes.

"It's…" Elsa started, "It's okay… I'm… I'm fine." Elsa reassured before she gave Anna a weak smile.

Anna blinked at her, not believing her ears, then, "PHEW! I-I thought you were going to panic or something! N-Not that I mean anything bad! The hug and arms around your waist and all...Hehe-I know you hate contact and I'm really sorry about that. It's only that I'm just a really big dumb hugger and I love warm hugs. Oh god nevermind!" She finished before she let her head fall into her hands in frustration. Her eyes widened from behind her hands when she heard Elsa giggle.

_Did she just… giggle?!_ Anna thought in disbelief. She was pretty sure Elsa was about to panic or something but all of that angelic laughter actually just made her the most joyous woman on earth.

"I-It's okay, Anna. I... I think…" She trailed off and blushed a bit, "I think it was really warm." Elsa confessed and smiled shyly.

_Was that a way of saying that she loved the hug?_ Anna wondered. It was only then did she sensed how cold the temperature was. "Uhm…" She started, smiling and looking around, "Speaking of warm… It's really cold in here."

Elsa turned embarrassed and she lowered her head in shame, "That is… I suppose from me. I'm so sorry."

Anna noted the tone of Elsa's worried voice and decided to calm Elsa's nerves down. She smirked at the woman, then, "Oh thank goodness, I thought we were being attacked by an evil demon of ice. But it turns out it was just my best, sweetest and warmest friend, Elsa." Anna joked but knew better that she was actually telling the truth.

Elsa lifted her head to look at Anna in disbelief. "F-... Friend?!" She asked as her face slowly started to lit up.

Anna nodded excitedly, "Yes! You are my friend, Elsa. I really care about you. And…" She trailed off and felt a bit shy. She blushed, then, "I'm really happy that you're here, Elsa, remember? When I told you that I wasn't bluffing." Anna confessed.

Elsa let out a laugh of joy, "R-Really?!...M-Me?! Me?! You're my friend!?" Elsa asked joyfully, still not believing her ears. _A friend, a friend! I have a friend! _She thought delightfully. She just didn't believe she just made a friend all by herself. She never ever had a chance to make one… or more likely see anyone so she could. She was always told that everyone hated her because she was nothing but a freak and would never ever have a friend. She'd been told that everyday through those years over and over and over. _But… Monsters don't make friends… But I have a friend! I have a friend!_ She finally felt light-hearted and really happy since her friend was standing right in front of her and she finally wasn't alone anymore.

"Yes, Elsa. I'm your friend. I'm. Your. Friend." Anna replied and tapped Elsa's nose playfully.

Elsa felt tears on her cheeks roll heavily down. "Oh my… I'm… I-I'm crying!?" She stuttered as she laughed at herself in confusion. She turned to look at Anna and showed her her tears, "Look, Anna. I'm crying, I'm crying! Why am I crying!?... I-I'm happy! I swear I'm happy! I-I'm not sad!" Elsa said, smiling and still not understanding why she was crying.

The fort temperature was back to normal; warm and cosy.

Anna smiled warmly at her. She was beyond happy by seeing Elsa like this. "Those are called Tears of Joy, Elsa. They come out when you're really happy." She informed before she saw Elsa's eyes widened and she stared right back in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Elsa then smiled radiantly and fondly, "You're happy too." Elsa said as she pointed at Anna's face and stared innocently at Anna.

Anna's eyes widened and it was only then did she realize that the tears of joy she tried to hold, were running down her cheeks. She brought finger to her cheek and felt the wetness and then looked back at her hand to see a small spot of wetness. She laughed, "Would you look at that? See? I told you I am happy that you are here." Anna said as she showed her tear-wetted finger to prove her point. "Tears of Joy!" Anna exclaimed happily before both started to laugh.

Elsa giggled gleefully a bit before both women stared at each other with huge smiles on their faces. Elsa then looked away shyly and bit her lip before she started to lift her arms very slowly and hesitantly, then lowered them quickly, then lift them again and vice versa.

Anna watched as Elsa's arms moved up and down shakily and saw how Elsa was busy trying to do something. Her eyes suddenly widened. She mentally gasped and her face lit up in the most joyful manner. _Is… IS SHE TRYING TO HUG ME?! _Anna thought ecstatically in disbelief.

Elsa was using every single fibre of willpower she may had to try and hug the woman in front of her. She was both, physically-by trying to will her arms up towards the woman- and mentally-by trying with all her might to forget the memories of pain of contact with another human- fighting her fears.

_You will kill anyone the moment you touch them! _The kings haunting words echoed._ You will never have anyone who would love a freak like you!... A monster! _

She suddenly started to tremble but didn't know why and-

_You are hated! Never to have a friend!_

_But here is my friend standing in front of me! She said she was my friend!_ Elsa's well side of her mind fought back for the first time in fifteen years.

_Look at your filthy hands! Whoever will be cursed and touched by them will die!... Just like your mother and sister! You killed them! You killed them! You killed them!_

Elsa winced and grimaced and still tried her best to forget, forget, forget! But her father's voice and phrases came crashing fast in her mind.

Anna watched as Elsa looked clearly lost in thoughts and wasn't even looking at her anymore, and how she was still trying to decide whether to lift or lower her shaky arms for a hug. Elsa's trembling and wincing form didn't go unnoticed by Anna. She started to get a bit worried yet still excited that Elsa was at least trying. _Oh my god, she's trying so hard!_

Elsa's hell-ish days were too powerful. She had barely any good memories so she could fight back all these horrible ones. And this time, Bad ones won.

_Monster! _

Elsa shut her eyes and finally quickly lowered her arms one last time and hid her murderous hands behind her back and looked down, ashamed and disappointed at herself. "I'm sorry..." She whispered to Anna and avoided eye contact, then started to stutter nervously, "I-I'm just... I'm-... There is-... Dange-"

"It's okay, Elsa!" Anna quickly said to try and show Elsa that she didn't wanted to push her on doing something she wasn't ready for. Elsa opened her eyes and looked at Anna, ashamed and apologetic. Anna smiled sadly, "I know you tried. And I'm really, really happy that you did!" Anna shouted happily and helped Elsa out to remove all the awkwardness the princess was feeling.

Elsa finally smiled a bit sadly. Yet on the inside, her heart was dancing in joy since Anna could really understand Elsa and never pushed her or forced her to do something she didn't wanted to do.

Anna brought her hand on Elsa shoulder. But this time, her hand went around Elsa back and unto the other shoulder, giving Elsa a half sideway hug. She rubbed the cold shoulder then, "Come on. We should probably get back. We don't want them to get worried or anything in our absence."

Elsa didn't stiffen at all. She nodded with a huge smile, favouring every friendly warmness Anna was imitating from her hand. Then, both girls picked themselves off the ground, the smile never left their faces, and they started to walk into the alley and out to check on what was happening in their mysterious absences, not knowing that their friends were pulling their hair out in worry.

* * *

**All i can say is... AAAAAAAAWWWW :')**

**Well... At least she's trying right? ;) Looks like Elsa is getting a tiny bit better. Too bad it's only to Anna. :P**

**Please review :) It encourages me :P **

**Oh! And i drew another doodle for Elsa and Aphrodite... a before and after thing. Just go see the link in my profile.**

**Next Chapter: Order From A Big Sister**


	25. Order From A Big Sister

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXIII: Order From A Big Sister

Anna and Elsa were walking closely next to each other out of the alley with a smile spread on their faces when Anna was suddenly tackled by Rapunzel.

"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU!? You got us all worried!... BOTH OF YOU!" Rapunzel said angrily as she pinned Anna to the ground. And when Anna started to laugh, Rapunzel turned redder from anger.

"There you are!" Flynn called out from behind them. Elsa turned to see that there were the three familiar faces of Flynn, Aiden and Kristoff rushing towards them, followed by some villagers. She took a step back to stand behind Rapunzel and Anna's tackled form just for safety.

"Where the hell were you guys!?" Kristoff called when he approached.

"We looked everywhere for you!" Aiden said.

"Can you remove this blonde cow off of me so I can explain!?" Anna said, laughing at the look on their faces.

Rapunzel sent her a death glare before she stood off of Anna and helped her up. "Now… Explain!" Rapunzel demanded as she crossed her arms and the others did the same.

Anna went to stand next to Elsa, "I was having some bad moments cause I had a fight with my mum and I needed some time alone… And Elsa here was the one who made me feel so much better." Anna said as she wrapped an arm around Elsa's shoulder and they smiled both at each other.

Rapunzel's face softened, "Oh thank goodness you're both okay. That's what matters." She said and approached them.

Since Elsa and Anna were out of the dim alley and into the afternoon relaxing sunlight, Elsa's pupils shrunk in size at the light, revealing even much more of the unnatural cyan color and made some of the villagers more fearful of her abnormality and some amazed at her beauty.

"Then why was she about to freeze the fort!?" One of the villagers called out and sent loud shouts of agreement from the other villagers.

When she heard them talking and shouting angrily about her, Elsa feared the worst but a squeeze from Anna's hand reassured her and made her relax again.

"Woah, woah! This wasn't Elsa's fault! I-If you wanna blame someone, it's me… I was the one who made Elsa do this, a-and she didn't even mean it." Anna defended and puffed her chest at the angry villagers.

"What are you talking about?" Another villager asked.

Kristoff, Aiden, Flynn and Rapunzel gave Anna a confused look.

Anna laughed nervously and played with her braids, "Well… You see? I kind of… lunged myself at Elsa and hugged her." She said shyly before she winced and waited for their reaction.

The thieves and Kristoff stared dumbfounded and silent at her.

"Uh… What?" Flynn finally said.

Anna groaned, "Agggghh! Look! The main story is: I hugged Elsa. She accidently turned the fort cold. We became friends. We both are happy. Fort all warm again. End of the story. And now you guys are really creepy by staring at us like that."

Elsa couldn't help but smile widely when Anna said _Friends _and none knew how that made Aiden melt on the inside... Poor Aiden.

Aiden couldn't help but to remove his own frown and replaced it with a smile. He felt his heart race and- _Okay, this is seriously has to stop!_ He thought to himself and blushed lightly. _Wait, what?! What am I even talking about!? _He shook his head to relieve himself from his strange thoughts; thoughts he never experienced before.

Anna sighed, "She was just surprised and shocked, that's all. And- Agh! Look!... Everything is fine now. That's what matters, okidoki?" She asked, then quickly, "And you have nothing to fear from Elsa. Now move along, everyone." She started shooing them away with her hands, "Go back to your chores and duties and… other stuff."

The villagers and other guild members kept their eyes on Elsa as they slowly walked away and went back to their business. Some had relieved smiles and most had frowns and glares.

When the group were alone, Rapunzel approached Anna and Elsa and smiled at them, "I'm glad you two are okay." She said warmly and gave Anna a hug.

"You should thank Elsa for that." Anna said and made Elsa blush.

Rapunzel broke from the hug and turned to Elsa, "Guys! Guess who saved the day?" She called out happily as her eyes were kept on Elsa.

Elsa's eyes widened when Rapunzel turned the men's attention towards her and she couldn't help but tense.

The men approached and Elsa silently gasped.

Anna quickly rushed to reassure her, motioning for the men to stop their track. She placed a hand on the extremely anxious Elsa's shoulder and gave her a squeeze, "Elsa?" Anna's voice came out soft. Elsa's eyes slowly yet hesitantly left the men and turned to Anna's. "Do… Do you trust me, Elsa?" She asked and felt a bit worried for the answer.

The men stopped and waited for Anna's cue.

Elsa only stared at Anna blankly. _Can I?_ She thought. _She never hurt me, she saved me from the dungeons and she gave me food to eat… Even when I spat at her, She never hurt me! She helped me when I needed her help and she always makes me happy and- _She stopped her thoughts and her eyes lifted to stare right into Anna's and the corner of her lips twitched up to create a jubilant, warmhearted smile, "You're my friend."

Anna let out an ecstatic, lighthearted laugh while Rapunzel and the others watched amazed. "And friends trust each other, right Elsa?" Anna asked as she gave Elsa an elated, lip-parted smile.

Elsa nodded excitedly and at that, everyone felt a warm tug to their happy hearts and couldn't help but join the smiles and laughters of the two sisters.

"So if you do trust me," Anna said with a smirk, "Then I can assure you that you can trust them." She said, pointing at the men.

Elsa's smile fell and she gave Anna a nervous and unsure look. "You should get to know them, Elsa. They are really nice buffoons and-" Anna looked at the men, up and down, "Even though they are huge, their brains are tiny and their hearts are warm." Anna said reassuringly, but Elsa gave Anna a 'Please don't make me do this' look.

"It's alright, Elsa." Kristoff finally spoke with a goofy smile, "We really won't hurt you." He said and received a fond and proud smile from Anna.

_Way to go, Kristoff._ Anna thought as she felt her heart race the more she kept her eyes on the blonde man.

"You can trust them, Elsa." Rapunzel started and approached her boyfriend, "Do you know why I'm in love with Flynno?... Because he is really nice and sweet and would never hurt a fly." She said and made Flynn blush before she gave him a peck on the cheek.

"I know you're scared, Elsa." Anna started, "We all understand. And we don't want you to feel uncomfortable or forced or anything! But when you get to know them and trust them, I'm pretty sure all of you will make good friends. Just like me with them!... Just like me with you." She said excitedly.

Elsa was overjoyed that she made a friend but she just couldn't help but to still feel nervous and couldn't relax.

Anna sighed and smiled sadly at Elsa, "Don't worry. There is still time for all this. Well… At least you're good with Punzie right?!" Anna said happily, pointing at Rapunzel.

Rapunzel's eyes widened a bit as she stared at Elsa nervously and with a silly smile.

Elsa's eyes slowly turned to look at Rapunzel and the green-eyed woman held her breath, waiting for Elsa's answer. Elsa wasn't sure what she should have felt towards Rapunzel. The woman never hurt her too anyway. She helped her up few times without pain. She many times tried to sooth her but of course it never worked like Anna's comforting, but at least she always tried. They ate together on the same table and not the floor like she used to back in the dungeons. She also laughed when Elsa spat at Anna instead of hitting her or scolding her aggressively. She stayed with her to calm her when she was being tended to her wounds and bandage-change. She had no reason to be afraid of Rapunzel, right?

Elsa then decided to give Rapunzel a tiny smile.

Rapunzel's gasped as her face turned into the most joyous manner. "YES!" She jumped at Flynn in a hug and blew out the air from his lungs, he felt his eyes would have popped out. "I'm on Elsa's list now, baby!" Rapunzel felt as if she just accomplished the best and biggest achievement of her life by having Elsa smile at her and not being scared of her. Strangely it was mostly what Rapunzel wanted. Why was it that important to her? She had no idea. But who wouldn't want to be friends with Elsa?

Anna laughed at Rapunzel's reaction. _Well that was unexpected._ She thought jokingly.

Elsa on the other hand gave Anna a shy and unsure smile, feeling shy about Rapunzel's reaction.

"You are just lucky because you're not big and intimidating!" Flynn teased and made Rapunzel laugh and she smooched him on the lips.

That was really awkward and strange for Elsa. Why were they so happy to have her? She just still couldn't understand why. _The Coocoos_\- as they are now called by Elsa- kept really confusing her more and more. Wasn't she supposed to be hated? She was a monster after all. Then why were they happy?

_Coocoos…_ Elsa thought. Maybe they were happy because they were just crazy? Or were they really happy because they were with her? That, was yet to stay a mystery to her.

"See, Elsa?" Anna said, "We are all happy to have you here." She walked towards the men and linked her left arm with Aiden's and her right with Kristoff's while Rapunzel and Flynn linked theirs. "We are all one family. And we all care for you. And want you to be one of our family." They all smiled at her, "And I hope that someday you would trust them all." She shook the two men with her arms to show whom she was talking about.

Elsa was now living a dream. She felt as if she wanted to cry of joy. This was too much! Too much happiness! Why were they so good to her?! They were officially inviting her to become one member of their crazy family and Elsa of course always dreamed of such a thing. _Family… Family!?_ Poor Elsa always dreamt of many things she long lost. Did she even remember what family was? Or did her cruel father forced her to say and remember that she would never have a family? She would never forget how he used to tell her that if anyone found her on the streets, they would either take advantage of her and kill her and would never accept her as a family member.

He used to tell her:_ No one would invite a freak to their family… People are scared of freaks and murderers. That's why we lock them away. That's why you are locked away from all the innocent. Never forget that, do you hear me? Never forget that!_

But Elsa was getting utterly confused since everything was happening in this fort and with these _Coocoos_ was the opposite of what her father used to tell and force her to recite. As for the men, Elsa was pretty sure that she would never trust them. If her own father hurt her, what would stop other men from doing so too?

"Well!" Anna rubbed her hands eagerly, "I'm feeling hungry! And I think Louis is going to prepare dinner soon so… Who wants to eaaatt?" Anna sing-songed.

Everyone shouted a 'Yeah!' happily- except for Elsa of course- and started walking towards the sanctuary.

"I'm starving! I feel like I could eat a whole reindeer." Aiden said as he patted his well-built abs.

Kristoff gasped, "No reindeers! Reindeers are friendly and have feelings! No one is allowed to eat them!"

"Oh forgive that big oaf here, Kristoff. He forgot that you have a special _thing_ towards reindeers." Flynn teased and received a frown from Kristoff.

_Awww! He's so sweet and kind!... And cuttttttee!_ Anna thought as she saw how Kristoff was a kind animal lover and was devoted to his reindeer friend.

"Come on, you three." Rapunzel said with a giggle and motioned for the others to follow.

Anna turned to Elsa and gestured with her head towards the sanctuary with a smile. Elsa smiled back and moved to walk right next to Anna happily but her eyes accidently… or for a reason, wandered towards the infirmary and she suddenly stopped in her tracks. A flash of memory took over her mind of how she took a glance inside _Leanna_'s room before Rapunzel closed the door and how she saw _Leanna_'s true sad and broken face.

Anna walked a few step forward more before she noticed that Elsa stopped. She turned with a confused face, "What's wrong?" She asked and made the other four turn to look at both sisters.

Elsa thought for a moment and felt this pull… This stinking pull again, pushing her towards the infirmary. _She got a fight with her mum, because of me… They are sad with each other because of me. _Elsa bit her lip then suddenly lifted her eyes and stared blankly at Anna before she pointed at the infirmary.

"What?" Anna asked, even more confused, but Elsa kept staring at her blankly and Anna would have sworn she saw a bit of determination but-… Determination for what? Everyone followed Elsa's finger and their eyes landed on the infirmary. Anna's eyes widened and she turned to look at Elsa, surprised._ Does she want me to make it up with my mum?!_ She thought, astonished. "Do you mean I should talk to my mum? Hah, no way! I'm not talking to her." Anna said childishly with a frown yet Elsa kept the blank face… That blank face! It had no smile or a frown yet it held so many words that of course Anna understood.

Elsa gestured and pointed determinably at the infirmary again. She didn't know how she dared demand something from Anna. She swore she was opening the gates of hell with her own hands and that Anna might punch her right in the face, yet here she was, recommending Anna to work it up with her mother, in which she didn't know she was hers too.

The others watched as the two sisters stood there, staring at each other, Anna with a frown and Elsa with her _special _blank face, and both had a silent conversation that only sisters could do. After a moment, with Elsa's finger still raised, Anna finally sighed in defeat, "Okay, okay. I get what you want… 'Go get your butt there and speak to your mum.' I get it, Elsa." Anna said, then her face turned to a pleading one, "But do I really have toooo?" She whined childishly and Elsa finally smiled and nodded.

Anna frowned at her, "Fine." She said before she started to walk towards the infirmary with slumped shoulders. _Geesh! That blank face of hers!... She gave me the shivers! _Anna thought, then, "I swear, Elsa, it's like you're my big sister and- Ah! That god damn headache again!" Anna shouted then mumbled nasty curses to herself right before she disappeared behind the infirmary' main door.

Rapunzel and the other two thieves exchanged worried looks. _I don't like these headaches._ Rapunzel thought in concern.

Elsa winced at hearing Anna say _Sister _and she felt a whole wave of shame wash all over her. The bit of pride she just felt seconds ago since she just recommended to Anna that she should bend her relationship with her mum-in which Anna agreed even if she stubbornly was forced to-had vanished and was outstood by the guilt of murder. Luckily…

"Elsa!" A little girl's voice called out from behind.

Everyone turned to see Zoey, the little blue-eyed and light brown haired girl was rushing towards them and she was… Holding a pot of a blue flower?

Zoey ran unsteadily and happily towards Elsa, trying her best to hold the pot still. "Elsa! Elsa! El- Oof!" She suddenly slipped and she fell to the ground unharmed. Luckily, the pot landed safely on the ground. Zoey laughed innocently at her own clumsiness and made Rapunzel roll her eyes in amusement at the girl's silly antics. Zoey stood and without even dusting her dress and picked up the pot again and continued her track towards Elsa. "Elsa Elsa Elsa Elsa! Look look look!" Zoey said as she practically shoved the pot into Elsa's hands.

Elsa held and stared, unsure, at the pot in her hands that held a beautiful, sky blue kind of a flower, before she gave Zoey a confused look.

Zoey smiled shyly, "You were sad, Elsa! I knew that because it was so cold! And I quickly ran to Bulda since I know you love flowers and they made you happy. Bulda said you love blue flowers! So she gave me this!" She said excitedly as she pointed at the flower in Elsa's hands. "Bulda said that it's called The Blue Hydra- uh… Hydra- ula- iguana or something."

Rapunzel laughed aloud, "You mean The Blue Hydrangea?" She corrected and tried to stiffen her laugh and smiled proudly and fondly at the little girl.

"Yeah! That's what I said!" she then turned to Elsa, lowered her head to hide the blush and fidgeted with her fingers, "Do… Do you like it, Elsa? Are you happy now?" She asked and smiled shyly.

Elsa looked down at the flower in her hands. She just received her second gift! She was of course happy. The flower was really all blue and beautiful, just how she loved it. She felt a spark in her heart that grew the fond towards the girl that reminded her so much of her sweet little sister. She smiled warmly and knelt to meet Zoey's eye level. "Thank you, Zoey. I love it a lot." Elsa spoke with a voice that made the other four's jaw drop. Her voice was so gentle, soft and flawless. It wasn't quivering or cracking at all.

Zoey held her breath, placed both hands on her mouth as her cheeks were bulged due to the air she was keeping inside and suddenly turned red and let out a loud squeal of delight that pierced Elsa and the other's ears and Elsa had to close her eyes and the pot would have slipped from her hands because of the sudden loud, ear-killer, high-pitched squeak that the little girl have tried to suppress.

The others had to wince and close their ears. When Rapunzel opened her eyes, they widened largely when she noticed how Zoey was about to lunge herself at Elsa in a hug. She quickly shoved Aiden towards the girl, "Get her!" She whispered. Aiden quickly grabbed the girl that was inches away from Elsa's waist, and picked her up on his shoulder. "That's enough, you little rascal." He teased with a smirk.

"Put me down, Eedoo! I wanna hug!" She said as she struggled angrily from the man underneath her. A kick from her foot got Aiden square in the nose.

"OW!" He screamed but kept her on his shoulder with one hand and the other grabbed his noise to ease the pain, "W-Why do you and Anna keep targeting my nose?!" His voice was more like a squeak.

"Ouh! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Eedoo! Did it hurt?" Zoey said as she tried to look at _Eedoo_'s nose in concern.

Aiden removed his hand off his nose, "Ah… I think my nose is fine. Now, could you please stop calling me Eedoo? It was only between us, remember?" He said and blushed from embarrassment.

"Oops! I forgot about that, Eedoo." Zoey accidently said again.

"Stop calling me that!" Aiden said as he turned even redder from awkwardness.

"Okayokayokay! Sorry!" She said and made a zipping gesture to her mouth and threw away an invisible key.

Rapunzel and the other two men… even Elsa couldn't help but giggle at the pair of clowns.

The two clowns only then did they remembered that they were being watched. Zoey joined the laugh and wrapped her arms around Aiden's muscled neck and squeezed it in a hug while Aiden's awkwardness was lost when he heard Elsa's angelic giggle. He felt his heart race yet… Still didn't know why. He was probably just hungry. His thoughts were shook when he heard a woman's voice.

"Zoey!... Zoey! Come here, sweety! It's time for dinner!" Mary, Zoey's mother, called.

"Awwwwww!" Zoey whined and made her body limp on Aiden's shoulder, making her weight slouch more on him.

Aiden smiled in amusement and placed the little girl down.

Zoey quickly ran to hug Rapunzel, Flynn and even Kristoff goodbye then turned to Elsa. She already knew that she wasn't allowed to hug Elsa but still didn't know why. So instead, she smiled at her and waved goodbye as she ran towards her mother who was staring cautiously at Elsa. "Bye, Elsa!" Zoey shouted as she ran.

Elsa quickly lifted her hand and waved happily back. "Bye…" She whispered.

None of them… Not even Elsa, knew that if Zoey have hugged Elsa at that moment, Elsa's arms would have automatically wrapped around the little girl that reminded her so much of her little redheaded sister she once had.

* * *

Brandon sat next to Aphrodite in silence. She already told him about what happened between her and Elsa, and how it ended up making things worse between her and Anna. Brandon's arms were still wrapped around the thin figure of the queen as he tried to sooth her to calm down. And after a while she finally did.

"Aphrodite?... I'm sure Anna was just confused that's all. Just give her time. When she'll feel better she'll talk to you again, so don't worry." Brandon said as he patted her back.

"I really hope so, Brandon. I really hope so with all my heart but-" She suddenly stopped and closed her eyes and suppressed her new tears, "Elsa is afraid of me now…" She opened her eyes and lifted her head to stare at Brandon with pleading eyes, "I won't see her again, won't I?" She asked with voice that showed how much she was feeling regretful. "She's afraid of me, Brandon… My own daughter is afraid of me."

Brandon did not answer. He felt guilty for a reason he only knew and didn't say a word. "You should look on the bright side. Elsa and Anna are together now, right?" He said with a happy voice to lighten the mood, "You told me yourself that Elsa was out from her episode because Anna was there and helped her through it. Don't you see? Even when they both don't know it, they are already sisters in blood and bond!" He said with a wide smile. "And I think you forgot about something important." He said with a smirk.

Aphrodite sighed, "And what is that?" She rested her chin on her hands while her elbows rested on her knee.

His smirk grew and he glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, "You saved Elsa's life."

Aphrodite's eyes widened, "What?" She quickly turned at him with a ridiculous smile, "Oh I saved her life so many times, didn't I?" She said with sarcasm spilling from her mouth like waterfalls.

Brandon still had his smirk, "Don't tell me you didn't realize that you saved her life?" He said with one raised eyebrows and Aphrodite's face turned confused and she stared at him skeptically, still not understanding what he was saying. Brandon continued, "You think that any healer would have simply come near her and be able to heal her without being impaled by ice? None of them had the skills like you. You stayed strong in front of everyone and stood straight even when you were seeing your daughter in such condition. What I wanna say is… That you stayed strong for Elsa so you could help her and save her. Now here is the results: She's alive and well. All this trauma is not caused by you, Aphrodite. The one to blame is your husband."

"He's not my husband!" She snapped at him with eyes full with anger. When he leaned back in surprise, Aphrodite's face relax, "I'm sorry… It's just…" She sighed, "He caused us so much harm. He was the reason our lives are miserable!" She said angrily.

"And you also saved someone else, too." Brandon reminded and wanted to change the bad subject that would hurt Aphrodite emotionally again. The king wasn't someone to discuss about.

Aphrodite shook her head, "You definitely lost your mind." Aphrodite deadpanned.

"Probably." Brandon joked, "But I know two things: You saved Anna's life from her father and you saved Elsa's 5 days ago." He said with a warm smile and continued when Aphrodite didn't argue and kept staring at him, "So it means… That when both needed you, and when you were ABLE to, you didn't waste any moment before saving and helping them and-…" He placed a hand on her shoulder, "Robin would have been very proud of you."

Aphrodite couldn't help but smile at him, even if it was a weak smile. Brandon felt light-hearted at finally seeing the poor mother smile.

"Thank you, Brandon." Aphrodite said with the gentlest voice Brandon ever heard.

Brandon's face lit up, "Ah, don't thank me, Aphrodite. I just did what I really should have done and… Just be sure that I'll always be here to help you." Brandon replied with a wide smile.

Aphrodite shook her head, "I'm not talking about that." She suddenly said and made Brandon confused. "What I mean is… Thank you for helping me save, Anna back then… E-Even if we couldn't do the same for-"

"N-No no! D-Don't thank me for that!" Brandon suddenly said with more like a shout and Aphrodite's eyes widened. "I-I mean… we were a t-team right? And we did what we could do… And mostly it was you who saved her." He said nervously and started walking towards the exit. "I'm glad you're okay now, Aphrodite. And don't worry… someday, you'll get your daughters back. I'm sure." He said with a grin.

Aphrodite wasn't sure why Brandon's behavior suddenly changed but she didn't dwell about the idea. Brandon opened the door to leave and was met with Anna, whom had her hand raised in a fist so she could have knocked on the door.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Nightmares**


	26. The Lost Sister

**I'm sorry for the short chapter… But I decided to change something in chapter Nightmares that turned it very long! So I had to post the first part of it first, in which I gave it the title The Lost Sister.**

**Next Chap definitely Nightmares… And I'm warning you from now!**

**Anyway enjoy this one :)**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXIV: The Lost Sister

"U-Uhm… Hi?" Anna said nervously.

Aphrodite's eyes widened, "Anna!?" She called happily.

Brandon looked between the two, "I should leave you two alone." He said and gave Anna a 'Be gentle.' smile and motioned for her to come in, in which she did. Brandon then closed the door behind him and left a mother and a daughter in an awkward silence.

Anna and Aphrodite stood in the room with a huge distance between each other. It was a really awkward silence as both avoided eye contact. Anna looked around, trying to distract herself while Aphrodite scratched the back of her neck. "So…?" Anna said weirdly.

"So…" Aphrodite said with a nervous smile. _God! I'm a stupid mother! So! Is that what all I can say?!_ Aphrodite thought and mentally facepalmed.

"U-Uhm… I-uh… I'm just…" Anna stammered. _God damn it! This is really awkward! How should I tell her that I'm sorry and didn't mean what I said!?_

"A-Anna... I… W-Would you like a seat, first?" She asked with an unsure smile that came out more like a wince. _Would you like a seat?... Am I inviting her to dinner or something!?_ Aphrodite thought angrily at her lack of words. _How should I tell her that I'm sorry and didn't mean what I said!? _Aphrodite thought and didn't knew that this was exactly what was Anna thinking of.

"Y-Yes… Of course." Anna said and both went to the table and sat on the chairs. _Can it get any weirder?! _Anna thought.

_Can it get any harder?!_ Aphrodite thought as another awkward silence fell between the two. Anna drummed her fingers on her knees nervously, while Aphrodite sat straight and proud like a queen, yet on the inside she was more nervous than Anna and her heart was racing.

_I should speak to her first! _They both thought in unison.

They both took a deep breath before they looked into each other's eyes and-

"**I need to tell you something!**" They both said quickly in unison and their eyes widened.

"**O-Okay, you first!**"

"**No, you!**"

"**Okay, me!"**

"**No! I-I mean… You start!... All what I wanna say is…I didn't mean what I said and…**" They both trailed off, then, "**I'm sorry!**" They gasped and stood up, then, "**What?!... But I was-… And you were-…**"

"Can we stop speaking at the same time and start listening to me?" Aphrodite finally said and tried to stifle a smile but failed. She gestured for Anna to sit down.

Anna smiled shyly, "Sorry…" She said awkwardly then sat down.

Aphrodite gave her daughter a warm smile and sat. She took a deep slow breath, then, "Anna… I'm… I'm so sorry about what I told you before. I… I-I swear I didn't mean any of it."

"But you said-"

"I know what I said!" Aphrodite suddenly cut off, angry at herself. She closed her eyes for a second then opened them to stare right into Anna's eyes, then she leaned forward and took Anna's hand in hers. "You listen to me, now. _You _are my daughter. You are brave, kind, sweet and gorgeous. You had the great courage to walk right into that dungeon to save a woman you never even met before." Aphrodite knew better than this. "You didn't care about the consequences. You cared about one thing… and its Justice. You saw how Elsa was being mistreated…" She winced at the memory, then, "You would have sacrificed your own life to save hers. You were very brave that even when we told you not to go… You couldn't just leave Elsa there because you knew how much she needed you and that no one but you would be able to help her. You are smart and funny and everyone loves you. And after what Elsa h-had been through… I have seen with my own two eyes how she trusted you. You have promised her protection… And you succeeded." She felt a bit sad. _Something I failed to do. _"You are strong because you know what's right and when you see an opportunity to be good, you run for it and never hesitate…" She trailed off and smirked, "Even though you're sometimes stubborn and headstrong." She said and tapped Anna's nose in which resulted in making Anna giggle. "You have done things I couldn't do myself. I wanted to tell you how much I'm proud of you, Anna." Anna was now at the edge of tears. "I don't care what you choose to be, whether a thief, a knight, a dancer or a horrible baker…" Aphrodite said with a giggle, "I know one thing. That you are doing what you're doing with good intentions. I have a great daughter with the warmest heart… And I'm so proud of her that I couldn't ask for anything else." Aphrodite finished.

Anna finally lunged herself across the table and wrapped her mother in a crush hug and cried. "I'm sorry I'm sorry! I'm really sorry I hurt you, Mama!" Anna said as she buried her face in her mother's neck.

Aphrodite moved away from the table and wrapped Anna in a proper warm hug before she felt her own tears spill, "I'm so sorry that I hurt you, too, Anna!... I-I swear I didn't mean what I said… Please believe me!"

Anna nodded quickly, "I do! I do! I swear I do believe you! And I'll always will!" Anna muffled as she soaked her mother's neck.

Aphrodite squeezed her younger daughter tighter and wished with all her heart that someday she would be able to do the same to Elsa. "I-I know I've been acting strange lately, but I swear I'm not afraid of Elsa! I-I dying on the inside, Anna! It's killing me to know that I made Elsa afraid of me! A-And now she hates me, a-and then there was the fight with y-you, a-and…a-and…" Aphrodite's tears ran down like waterfalls, "Oh God, Anna! I'm a horrible mother! Please forgive m-"

Anna quickly lifted her head to stare at her mother's wet eyes with her worried and wide ones, "No, Mother! You are not horrible at all! You are the best mother on this crazy earth! I love you. I love you. I love you with all my heart! And Elsa is not afraid of you!" She said and wiped her mother's tears with her thumb and gave her mother a sad smile, "In fact, you should thank her later. She was the one who sent me here to talk to you and GOD! You should have seen this blank face of hers! It was so cute yet creepy! I felt like she was looking right through my soul and-"

Aphrodite's eyes widened, "Wait, wait, wait!" She placed a hand on Anna's mouth to prevent her from rambling, "Elsa t-told you to come and talk to me?!" She asked with a smile in disbelief and started to feel her heart flutter in joy.

With her mother's hand still on her mouth, Anna nodded. "Uh-hm!" She hummed in confirmation. _Though she didn't quite 'Tell' me… She more like stared at me and pointed until I couldn't take it anymore._

"Elsa?... Like Elsa _Elsa_!?" Aphrodite asked again, still not believing her eyes and ears. Anna smirked from behind her mother's hand and nodded again.

_Even after what I did to her!? Even after I made her feel Fear again!? She… She cares about me!? She still cares about me! MY BABY CARES ABOUT ME! _Aphrodite started to laugh in glee, "She cares about me, Anna! She cares about me! Elsa cares about me!" Aphrodite shouted happily as she twirled her younger daughter in the room.

Anna joined the laugh for a reason she did not know and allowed her mother to twirl her around. She never in her entire LIFE heard her mother's voice come out like that. It was so full with joy and relief. She didn't know why her mother seemed so happy. She didn't think too much about the idea since she wanted everyone and especially her mother to love Elsa. And now she knew that her mother really did care about Elsa. She mentally shrugged her shoulders and continued her laughs with her mother.

Aphrodite suddenly stopped and grabbed her daughter's face as she stared at Anna with wide and serious eyes, yet they were full with excitement, "Anna, you have to tell her that I'm sorry! You have to, Anna! Do you hear me!?" She said as she squished her daughter's cheeks with her hands and forced Anna to pucker her lips, "You have to! You have to! You have to tell her that I didn't mean anything that I have said."

Anna laughed at her mother since she never ever saw her so excited, "Owkay, owkay!... Now Leaf my cheeks alone, pwease." Anna tried to say through her giggles while her cheeks were sill squished.

Aphrodite realized how ridiculous and childish she just acted and she quickly relieved her daughter from her cheek torture. "Sorry about that." Aphrodite said with a shy smile as she brushed the pain from her younger daughter's cheek away.

Anna giggled as she rubbed her other cheek and suddenly smirked and looked slyly at her mother, "Why do you care so much about, Elsa?"

Aphrodite's eyes grew wide, "I-I care about all my patients." She said as she turned to distract herself and hide the nervousness of her face.

Anna wasn't convinced. Her smirk grew and she folded her hands behind her back as she approached her mother, "Yeaaaahhh! You wash every patient you heal and you dress them properly," She remembered when she was with Kristoff, standing in front of Elsa's bedroom door and how her mother came out of the room and glared at the man, before Anna went inside to find the unconscious frame of Elsa washed, cleaned and dressed. "And you make a special remedy for the bruises for every patient," She wiggled her eyebrows and Aphrodite even though nervous, had to stiffen a smile. "And don't think that I didn't see how you ran all worried to Elsa when she blew up the sanctuary because of the cauterization." Both Aphrodite and Anna mentally winced at the memory, "And also when you were standing behind the door when Elsa had her first sandwich."

Aphrodite gasped, "Y-You… You saw me?"

Anna shook her head in amusement, "You're not quite good at hide and seek either… Oh And not long ago you just twirled me around the room as if you found a long lost treasure and you actually seem to care about her like you care for me!" Anna said happily and didn't know how her mother's heart was drumming faster with every passing second. To Aphrodite, she really did find a long lost treasure.

Anna finally placed both hands on her mother's shoulders and she smiled fondly at her, "Now, I know that you didn't mean to say that to Elsa… But I'm too stupid to see how you really care for her." Her smile grew and she wrapped her mother in a hug, which Aphrodite still had her wide eyes, "I love you so much, Mother… You are the best mother I could ever have. People still can't see that softy muffin spot of yours inside." She said as she poked her mother's chest where her heart laid, "And I don't know why you seem so cold with everyone else but I know one thing," She kissed her mother's cheek, "I can never ask for a better, stronger, braver, prettier mother."

Aphrodite couldn't feel but guilty at that. _If you knew what I did you would have thought differently of me._

"And that's why I'm going to arrange a day for you and Elsa together!" Anna suddenly said.

Aphrodite's eyes couldn't get any wider, "Wait, what?! No! Nononono! I can't, Anna! I-I'm… I-I'm busy! A-And-"

"Oh stop it!" Anna waved her hand playfully, "It's only for one day! And Elsa already trusts me and Rapunzel… It's about time to trust other people."

Aphrodite was both excited and scared. She wanted desperately to spend time with her lost daughter but she was so afraid to do so. Afraid that if Elsa found out, everything would crumble and she didn't want to even imagine how Elsa would react and throw accusations and words of mild hate and rage at her mother. "Anna, you saw what happened between us." She scoffed, "What a first impression I made for her." She said and placed her palm on her forehead and shook her head.

Anna frowned, "Okay fine!... But I'm not giving up on this. You two are going to meet again and you are going to work it all up!" Anna said happily.

Aphrodite smiled fondly at her daughter, "Well if I have a stubborn daughter like you, how could I say 'No'?" Aphrodite deadpanned.

"Admit it… You love my stubbornness. You just don't know it yet." Anna said as she puffed her chest and made Aphrodite laugh for real.

"Well then, Sunshine. Go on ahead, now. Elsa and the others are waiting for you." Aphrodite said before both hugged each other tightly. "Remember, that I'm so proud of you and that I know what you're trying to do is all with good intentions."

Anna's smile grew and she buried her head in her mother's neck, smelling her scent and making her instinctively even warmer and happier. "Mother?" Anna said while hugging.

"Hm?" Aphrodite replied.

Anna posed for a moment, then, "Did I ever had a sister?"

Aphrodite's eyes widened and she broke the hug to look at her daughter, "W-Why would you ask that?"

Anna avoided eye contact, "I kind of… Heard Brandon say that… You'll get your _daughters_ back… Was he… talking about me and… my sister?" Anna asked uncertain.

Aphrodite sighed, "You probably just heard wrong Anna…"

"No. I clearly heard him say _daughters._" Anna said with a raised eyebrow. "Do I have a sister, mother?" Anna asked in curiosity and felt worried when she saw her mother's sad face.

Aphrodite looked into her daughter's determined eyes before she couldn't take it anymore and she lowered her head, "Yes." Aphrodite whispered.

Anna's face lit up, "I DO?!... W-Where is she?! Why isn't she here?! What's her name?! How can't I remember her?! What does she look like?!"

"Anna!" Aphrodite voice came out sad.

"Oh my god! Why didn't you tell me?! I wanna meet her! We can become best friends! Is she older than me?! Younger?! Small?! Big?! Pretty?!"

"She's gone, Anna!" Aphrodite suddenly shouted and buried her face in her hands.

Anna quickly stopped and her face suddenly fell. Her mouth formed an 'Oh'. She suddenly felt sad, "W-… What happened?"

"I can't talk about it… Please." Aphrodite turned to walk away.

"Mother, please!" Anna gripped her mother's arm gently. "I… I need to know."

Aphrodite kept her face turned the other way, "She was taken from me."

Anna waited and listened.

Aphrodite turned to look at her daughter, "Your father… He took her from me… She's gone, Anna… She's gone!"

Anna already knew that her mother hated her father. She never knew his name, not even what he looked like but she knew that he had hurt her mother badly. Every time she had asked her mother, Aphrodite would either turn angry or cry. She kept asking all these years with the same results until one day she understood that her father wasn't a good man and she stopped asking about him since she didn't want to anymore because he only brought bad memories for her mother, and it only meant one thing: Her father was a bad man. And she didn't want to even meet a man like him, even if he was her father.

"I did a bad thing, Anna… I did a bad thing to your sister! And as a punishment... I lost her!" Aphrodite suddenly let out tears.

Anna silently gasped and she quickly hugged her mother. "Hey, it's okay… I don't think it was your fault. Whatever you did… Can you at least tell me what happened?"

"Anna, p-please!" Aphrodite still couldn't stand the guilt of how she wronged Elsa.

Anna furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't want to push her mother further since she understood that it was a very sensitive topic. "Can… Can I at least know her name?"

Aphrodite opened her mouth to speak, but she closed it shut. "I'll tell you someday. Right now… You're not ready."

Anna didn't understand why her mother was so secretive, but now she had so many questions running in her mind, ready to know everything about her the sister she once had. She felt sad that her sister was dead, but she also was excited to know how she was.

"What was she like?" Anna asked and broke the hug to look at her mother, wiping off Aphrodite's tears with her thumb.

Aphrodite smiled sadly, "She was older than you… She was beautiful, intelligent and sweet… She was a bit like you but much calmer. She used to love when I read her stories, when I brushed her hair and when I sang her the lullaby she always loved."

"Like the one you used to sing for me?" Anna asked excitedly.

Aphrodite giggled a bit, "Yes… Like the one I used to sing to you." She smirked, "Yet the lullaby never put you to sleep like her." She joked and made Anna giggle.

"She was playful too… She loved to play in her sno- I-I mean she loved to play in the snow." Aphrodite quickly corrected and luckily Anna didn't dwell about the idea since she wanted to listen and know everything about her sister.

"Did she love to build snowmen?" Anna asked with a child's awe.

"Very!" Aphrodite said happily, "They were her favorite!" She said and both of them laughed.

Aphrodite smiled fondly as the memories of her little Elsa popped in her mind, "And She used to love chocolate… And she used to hate vegetables! Especially broccoli!"

Anna gasped happily, "Elsa hates broccoli too! You too! And my sister too?! Why does everyone hate broccoli so much?!"

_Of course she does hate broccoli… How could I ever forget?! _She remembered when she first fed Elsa a smashed broccoli when she was two years old and how Elsa ended up spitting everything at her mother. And the look that Aphrodite had made, had resulted in a laughing two year old baby Elsa. Aphrodite then had vowed that there would be no more broccoli for Elsa.

"How can you even eat that stuff, Anna?!" Aphrodite asked with a smirk.

"Ah, come on! It's not that bad!" They both giggled and then fell into a silence until… "Do you miss her?" Anna suddenly asked.

Aphrodite's face fell and she winced. She sighed, then, "Every single day." Aphrodite then shook her head to relieve herself from the sad thought and she looked at Anna with a sad smile. She removed a strand of loose hair out from Anna's face and cupped it behind her daughter's ear. "You should probably go now. Everyone is waiting. I… I promise that I'll tell you everything about your sister later. But not now. It's still early and…" She cupped her daughter's cheek and looked at her with determined eyes. "Your sister… Is a secret between us… Okay, Sunshine? I… I just don't want anyone to know about this… It's quite personal."

Anna quickly nodded with a smile. She understood that it was hard on her mother that they spoke about her _deceased_ sister. Anna wished that she could have at least saw or met her sister, but she never had a chance. She just always wanted a sister. Too bad her sister died before she could meet her. Anna felt a bit down at the bad news. By the manner her mother seemed to act when they talked about her, it looked like she died in a horrible way. And Anna didn't want to know what her mysterious father did, and she couldn't help but to hate him about what he did to her mother-and her sister too-even though she never met him.

"Go on, now." Aphrodite woke Anna from her thoughts, "Kristoff is impatient." Aphrodite said with a wink.

Anna eyes grew wide and she turned red. "I-I don't know what you're talking about." She quickly turned on her heels and scurried off, "Love youuu!" She called out.

Aphrodite laughed and shook her head in amusement. She whispered to both of her daughters even though both couldn't hear, "Love you, Sunshine… You too, Snowflake."

Aphrodite's eyes suddenly widened and her heart stopped when she heard what Anna said next.

"OH! And by the way!... You're going to tell me who's this Aphrodite you guys were talking about!" Anna called out one last time before she went out of the infirmary, leaving a shocked Aphrodite.

* * *

**Please Review :)**

**I'm warning you from now... Next chap is rated M.**

**Next Chap : Nightmares**

**God be with me. :P**


	27. Nightmares

**!WARNINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGG!**

**I had to take a break while writing this chapter since my mind couldn't take such a scene all straight for 3 hours. :P**

**Not Elsanna.**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXV: Nightmares

Anna dashed out of the infirmary and saw her friends standing ahead, waiting, and she noticed how Elsa now held another flower pot.

With an excited and happy face, Anna called them, "Guys! Elsa! I'm baaaackkk!" She sing-songed.

Everyone turned to her voice and Elsa's smile couldn't get any bigger.

"Did ya miss me?" Anna teased them and Elsa kept her 'Yes' to herself, instead she smiled widely.

"Well, missy! We had a nice moment of peace and quiet before you came back but we were also greeted with another smaller version of you… Little Zoey." Flynn joked.

Anna laughed, "That explains the flower." She said as she pointed at the pot in Elsa's hand. Elsa gave her a goofy smile and nodded, "Blue!" Elsa said happily and showed Anna the flower.

"Oh it's blue alright." Anna said as she took a nice glance at the flower.

"Well how did it go?" Rapunzel asked.

"Oh!... It went great!" Anna shouted happily and the spark in her excited eyes didn't go unnoticed. "And it's all thanks to Elsa!" She leaned towards Elsa and wrapped her arm around the cool shoulders and squeezed her in a half hug. She smiled at Elsa fondly, "Thank you, Elsa… I… I really wouldn't have done it without you. You're the best."

Elsa blushed and felt a tiny spark of pride for the first time of her life.

"And my mother," Anna said as she looked right into Elsa's eyes, "She wanted to tell you that she's really sorry, Elsa. I now know that she really didn't mean to say these things to you. I know her for a long time, Elsa. She is really nice and would never hurt someone."

Elsa thought for a moment, taking in Anna's words before she finally lifted her head, smiled and nodded.

Anna smiled widely back, "I really want you two to meet again and-" Anna quickly stopped when she noticed Elsa's eyes went wide, "I-I mean if you want to!... It doesn't have to be now... Whenever you want really!... But i want you to get to know each other." Anna said and placed a hand on Elsa's shoulder.

Elsa was a bit nervous, but she couldn't ignore the pull she was feeling for Anna's mother. "Okay." Elsa agreed before she could stop herself.

"Way ta go, Elsa!" Flynn cheered for Elsa's courage.

"And you really did know how to convince this headstrong, Feisty pants. You're the first person that Anna ever listened to." Aiden joined the encouragement.

"And now you made both Anna and her mother happy!" Rapunzel informed ecstatically.

"Don't forget, Little Zoey! She was really happy too. So that makes it three people, Elsa." Kristoff said.

Elsa stared at them all in happiness and disbelief as each one of them encouraged her.

"And also…" Anna started with a smirk, "By making us happy, you made these four brainless dodos happy too!" She said as she pointed at the three thieves and Kristoff. "Am I right, guys?"

"Yeah! Of course! We're all happy!" They said in unison. "Wait, what?!" And that made Anna laugh hard. _Yup… definitely dodos._

Elsa felt as if she would have hopped and jumped in joy for the rest of her life. _They are all happy because of me!... They said I'm good!…They… They don't hate me… Right?_

_Monsters are hated! I'm locking you because if anyone discovers what you really are, they will hunt you down like a piece of a filthy beast you truly are!_

Her tormented mind recited her father's words. Elsa had no thoughts or words to defend herself against this memory… Against those words. She tried with all her might to fake the smile and hide the tears. Luckily to her, it worked and none noticed her internal conflict.

"Well, then! It's getting dark. I think Louis have already prepared dinner. Come, on everyone." Anna said and motioned for Elsa to move along.

Elsa stayed a moment still, trying to cast away the voice in her head before she shook it off and followed. _…Filthy beast you truly are!_ The last words sounded in her head again.

And they went inside the sanctuary where the men went to the dining room to join the guild members and the three girls went to have dinner in Elsa's room, since Elsa still wasn't used to that amount of people.

* * *

After having their peaceful dinner-Elsa with her sandwich as usual and the others had chicken soup- Elsa refused to try anything at all and just stayed with her sandwich and avoided any spitting contest.

They then went to bed since Elsa was pretty tired. Rapunzel gladly decided to move her bed to Elsa and Anna's bedroom so that the three of them now slept in the same room. Fortunately, they replaced Anna's broken bed with another well one and hoped that she wouldn't do anything crazy and break it.

That night… That horrible night, Anna and Rapunzel couldn't sleep at all since Elsa unfortunately had another nightmare and her screams and cries didn't go unheard by everyone in the fort. The room was extremely cold that the two other women had to wrap themselves in thick winter blankets and Rapunzel witnessed how Elsa woke up, and how the poor woman didn't recognize any of them and was freaked out just like the first time she had woken up here. Both Anna and Rapunzel took a whole hour to sooth her down and another whole two hours to help her sleep. The two thieves didn't dare sleep and were utterly worried and were preparing themselves for another nightmare. Fortunately, Elsa finally slept peacefully.

Three days have passed and the women' nights would always be the same. Elsa would always scream and cry from a nightmare and would wake up trembling, sweating and wouldn't recognize any of the two.

Anna and Rapunzel were starting to get really worried since these nightmares weren't going away. Those nightmares would attack Elsa every night and each night was worse than the other.

On the third night, it was the worst case. Elsa screamed and screamed and thrashed in her bed as if she was really feeling pain. Anna and Rapunzel couldn't hold back their tears. Mostly Anna who showered herself with them… besides Elsa of course since Elsa's cries weren't just out of sorrow.

* * *

Mad held a bucket full of pieces of bread in one hand and the other hand held a bucket with a piece of barely grilled meat for _The Monster_. He passed every cellar, throwing each piece of bread to every prisoner.

"Shit-head." Razor called him when Mad gave him the piece of old bread.

"This will be you're share for 3 days you bastards." Mad laughed, "Enjoy it!"

After giving everyone their share, Mad headed to a nineteen year old Elsa's cellar with the bucket of meat.

He opened the door, entered and closed it behind him. The first thing he was met with was Elsa's chained and sleeping figure on the ground. He threw the meat from the bucket to the ground without even caring about the blood and dirt that stained the floor. When Elsa didn't wake up, he came closer to her. "Wake up, bitch!" He whispered angrily to himself. When he approached, he took a clear sight of Elsa's half-nude figure, and his dirty mind went somewhere else. He smirked, "Well, well, well..." He said to himself as he gazed at her womanly body, up and down. _You really did grow that body of yours a great deal. _He thought and licked his lips in anticipation as he stared at the poor woman lustfully. He took a peek to the door to check that the king wasn't present before he turned to Elsa, his heart beating faster. He knelt next to her sleeping form as his disgusting eyes trailed around her frame and bare thighs excitedly. He brushed his warm hand on her leg and felt her coldness. _Your father won't know anything now, would he?_

At his touch, Elsa's eyes shot open and when she turned her head to see Mad so close to her and was staring at her lustfully, she gasped aloud and crawled away from him with a whimper, sending rattles of chains behind her. "S-Stay away from me!"

"Now, now, Elsa… I'm not here to hurt you." He said as he started to approach her. "I'm just here to have some fun. An old man with so much work all these years deserves a prize now, wouldn't he?"

_He's going to hurt me! He's going to hurt me! _She thought dreadfully. "P-Please, Mad… P-Please…" Her voice came out throaty.

But he kept approaching with that wicked smile, and the more he approached the more Elsa backed away. Her breath started to quicken and her heart started to race. She just wasn't understanding what was Mad talking about. She supposed her father sent him to torture her like always. "D-Did Papa… S-Sent you?" She managed to ask as she brought her legs to her chest when she was cornered between the two walls and Mad kept approaching.

Mad shook his head with a chuckle, "Oh, no, no, no… Your father is not coming here today… That's why I'm here. I'm here to give you a favor, Elsa." He started as he finally knelt next to her.

Elsa gasped and hid her face with her hands, and tried her best to stop trembling but failed. _No… Please no!_

His eyes hovered over her body with lust, "When I told you that you would grow that body of yours up… Well," He chuckled a bit, "I didn't know you would grow it so well!" He said with a seductive tone.

Elsa shook her head and kept her hands on her face and her legs tighter to her chest, away from Mad as much as she could, "I-I-I don't understand…" She muffled.

"Look at me." He commanded with an intimidating tone.

Elsa winced behind her hands and removed them off her face shakily, but kept her eyes away from Mad's.

Mad frowned, "I said… Look at me."

Elsa's cyan, terrified eyes slowly made it to look at Mad.

"You see… I'm a poor old man who can barely have a grip on his instincts if you stay like that in front of him." He said as he brought his hand to brush Elsa's cheek.

Elsa flinched away with another whimper. She just still couldn't understand what he was talking about as he made her confused more and more.

"You don't hate me, Elsa, right?" He asked as he wiped her tears.

Elsa quickly shook her head.

Mad smirked, "I know you love me. You love the old man who feeds you, am I right?... Say it!... Say that you love me." He said as his hand trailed down her leg.

Elsa's breath was incredibly fast now. She felt her heart would burst out at any minute. She quickly averted her eyes. "M-Mad… Please… S-Stay back."

"Look at me and say it, bitch!" Mad said as he dug his nails in her leg.

Elsa winced hardly and let out a yelp. She forced herself to look at him as she turned her neck using all her willpower.

"There you go." Mad said wickedly, "Now say that you love me."

Elsa lips trembled terribly as she tried to pronounce those dreadful words, "I-I. . . I. . . I l-love. . . Y-You."

As Mad's body temperature rose, he spoke again, "I can promise you Freedom from all this hell if you can do what I ask of you… Everything will be fine. I'll will get you out of here if you accept my offer." He said as his hand stroked her neck while he leaned closer and made Elsa extremely uncomfortable and she squeezed herself to the wall even more, trying to back away. "No , p-please… S-Stay away from me!" She tried to struggle and look away when he was too close but he gripped the back of her neck harshly and forced her to look at him, while the other hand pulled her leg, "If you don't do what I say, I will kill you!"

"L-L-Leave me alone! Please!" She was utterly terrified now. Her breath came out shaky as she stared at his disgusting eyes. She didn't know what he was trying to do, but as a first instincts, she knew it wasn't going to be good.

When she tried to struggle more when he leaned closer, Mad groaned in anger. He released his grip and instead, ee grabbed her chains and started pulling her to the center of the cellar. "You will do as I say, bitch! If you like it or not!" He said while he dragged her.

Elsa's tears started to stream down her cheeks. "Leave me!" She screamed as her nails dug into the ground and she tried to get away.

When she was finally in the middle, Mad smirked and laughed wickedly. He then pinned her weak and already fatigued body to the ground with his. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her to the floor with one hand.

"Please! Leave me alone!" Elsa screamed again as her body trembled terribly from horror.

"Don't struggle, Monster!... You're not even important to care about such a thing… You can scream as much as you want, Monster… No one can hear you here. You're all mine, now!" He said as he licked his lips. He brought his other hand to Elsa's lower tunic and started to rip it apart and wanted to humiliate the poor princess in the worse ways.

"NO!... PLEASE! STOP!" As Elsa's fear grew and her weak, miserable, unsuccessful struggles increased, the room temperature became utterly cold, and Mad didn't notice that the glove on her right hand slipped off. A huge ice spike shot out from the ground and nearly pierced his throat. Mad gasped and let go of her so he could back away and avoid being impaled, leaving Elsa some space to back away fearfully too. When he felt threatened and realized how he was this close to lose his life, he screamed in rage, "Why you fucking BITCH!" He said and pinned her aggressively to the ground again and backhanded her.

Elsa cried out in pain and tried to struggle, "S-S-Stop! PLEASE!... G-GET AWAY FROM ME!"

"If you do that again, I swear I will make it hurt more!" He said with a disgusting and wicked smile. As he pinned her body with his own to the floor and slipped the glove back on her hand.

Elsa's struggles couldn't hold on much longer as she tried to flail and thrash her hands and legs to keep him away, but her chains and shackles made things even much harder and her unfortunate weak strength suddenly gave away and Mad finally was able to keep her still.

Elsa's tears rushed down uncontrollably as she felt his hot body above her cold one. _Please… Please… Please! Stay away from me, please!_

"LEAVE ME ALONE! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Elsa cried and started sobbing when she felt the situation inevitable.

"LEAVE HER ALONE YOU PIECE OF SHIT!" Kai called out from the outside.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! I WILL KILL WITH MY OWN HANDS IF YOU TOUCH HER!" Razor said and the other prisoners started to yell and scream curses at Mad and prayers for Elsa.

"Don't worry…" Mad said as he grabbed her thigh with his rough hand, "You will feel a bit of pain but I promise that it will be enjoyable later." He said with a laugh and continued to rip her lower tunic.

Elsa body shook in sorrows as she cried, screamed, sobbed and prayed for help. What was Mad trying to do to her? She didn't understand what was happening but she somehow knew that it was a terrible thing.

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" Saja suddenly screamed.

"Don't fight it, Elsa… You will only make it worse, remember? Your father wouldn't allow us to have fun. I'm taking what I deserve for all those years of service." He said and finally threw her shredded tunic away, leaving her exposed and vulnerable to him.

Elsa's tears couldn't go down any faster. She felt a bit dizzy from all the screaming and thrashing.

Mad leaned forward at her and whispered in her ears, sending shivers down her spine, "Now… Just close your eyes and let it pass." He mocked, using Kai's words, "Let us have fun now, shall we?"

As if God had listened to her prayers, right before he could disgrace her, the king suddenly dashed inside her cellar. "What in the hell is happening here!?" The king yelled in rage.

Mad's eyes widened and he quickly stopped before he was able to harass and take advantage of the frightened and chained princess in the most disgusting and horrific way. He quickly backed away frightened, "I-I-I… Sh-She came at me, You Majesty!" He accused as he pointed at Elsa with a trembling hand.

Elsa was curled up in a ball, crying and trembling, and didn't acknowledge any of them. Even though she didn't understand what was about to happen, the experience got her fully traumatized and she was trying her best to hide her half-nude, battered body.

Mad knelt down to his king and begged, "She came all over me! I-I was just trying to give her the meat a-and she said that if I got her out of here she would give herself to me! I swear to you, Your Majesty! On my honor!" He fearfully said as he stared up at the king's raging eyes.

Elsa was utterly relieved to have her father present for the first time in her entire life. She was thanking God for sending help and that Mad have stopped before he could have tortured her in his special, terrible way, in which she still didn't understand what it was. As she shook in terror and cried on the floor, she did not dare to look at her father and didn't realize that Mad just lied and accused her. She was too occupied with her sobs and thoughts.

_He wanted to hurt me! He was about to hurt me! What did he want from me?! _She thought, confused and troubled.

"That Monster came at me, You Majesty! I'm nothing but an old man! I can barely move my feet, I have no strength at all. I-I was just trying to feed her!" Mad said and started to smile wickedly when he noticed that the king started to turn his attention to his daughter.

Without a word, the king stared angrily at his daughter's half-naked body, then at the big ice spike that grew in the middle of the cellar and at Mad. And his mind decided what he should believe. With a wrathful glare, the king looked at his daughter in disgust before he ran his way to the table and grabbed a whip.

And Elsa still didn't notice anything that was happening.

"You fucking whore!" The king suddenly shrieked in rage as he turned red.

Elsa's eyes shot wide in shock and she quickly lifted her head to look at her father in shock and confusion, "P-Papa?...W-What…?"

"How dare you, bitch!?" He yelled as he came at his shocked daughter and pointed the whip at her in which she flinched like a terrified animal when she saw it.

"I will show you what happen to whores in Arendelle!" He screamed.

Elsa realized that he was about to whip her and she gasped and quickly tried to crawl away. She tried to back away but the chains pulled her back. She shook her head at herself as she pulled even harder on her chains and ignored the aggravating pain in her wrists. _He's going to hurt meeee!... What did I do?! What did I do?! _She didn't understand why her father was so raged. She didn't do anything! Mad was just there pinning her to the ground for a reason she did not know and now it was _her_ who was taking a punishment!? A punishment for what?! He accused her of a whore… What was a whore anyway?! She didn't understand what was happening around her. For the first time in her life, she didn't know why she was about to be punished. And she never felt so scared and bewildered at the same time. Elsa kept whimpering and pulling on the chains.

"You just love to have so many titles, right Elsa?" The king said sarcastically as he approached her. "You want to be a…" He brought the whip at her with full force, not caring about a specific target but as long as it was somewhere in her body. "Whore!"

"AH!" Elsa screamed in pain and pulled even more on her chains while tears rushed to meet her cheeks and now her neck. _Why is he hitting me?! Why is he hitting me!? WHAT DID I DO WRONG?!_

"A Monster!" The king yelled and whipped her again.

Elsa shrieked again in agony and couldn't take it anymore. She stopped pulling and collapsed to the ground and focused on cowering and curling up in a ball. "P-Papa, I'm sorry!... I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She screamed yet didn't know why she was apologizing. _Why is he punishing me?! _She just didn't know. Her father came in and practically saved her from Mad, then why was he doing this?!

"A freak!" He brought it down again, "Abomination!... Murderer!... Beast!... Filth!" He brought it down again and again, forming red lines around Elsa's body.

Mad watched in amusement as he tried to stifle a laugh.

"PLEAAAAASE!" She screamed in pain again when she felt the whip bite her leg, "PAPA!" He whipped her again and she yelped loudly, "W-WAIT!... WHYYYY?!... WHAT DID I DO?! WHAT DID I DO!?" She tried desperately to understand as she trembled and felt the agonizing lashes of pain that continuously came. She just at least wanted to know why she was being punished so she could avoid it later on, but her father only turned even angrier.

"A WHORE! A WHORE! YOU ARE A WHOOORE!" He screamed and whipped her the more and more and he faster and faster, and poor Elsa didn't even know what a _whore_ meant.

The whip suddenly reached her cheek, sending a line crimson blood down her face and she couldn't help but to shout at the aggravating pain, "STOOOOOPP!... P-PLEASE PAPAAA!" Elsa felt her entire body burn and sting. Why was he doing this to her?! Her vision started to blur because of the tears of anguish and woe and she started to feel dizzy.

"You will never be normal! You are a big disgrace! Do you hear me?! A Fucking bitch! A scandal! A dishonored whore!" The king screamed one last time held the whip high and-

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Elsa screamed in her bed with her eyes closed as she failed her hands violently and tried to avoid the invisible whip.

Anna and Rapunzel were already frightened and utterly concerned.

"Anna, what is happening to her!?" Rapunzel screamed as they started to panic, not knowing what to do.

"I don't know! I don't know!" Anna shouted back through Elsa's screams.

They watched in horror as they saw the worst case of nightmare ever. Elsa was screaming as if she was really feeling pain.

"Elsa!... Elsa! Can you hear me!? Oh God, please!" Anna started to rock herself back and forth while tears rushed down her cheeks. She tried to reach for Elsa's arm or shoulder or anything to try to wake her, but the moment she touched her, things turned worse.

"LEAVE ME ALOOOONNEEE!" Elsa screamed in her sleep, "PAPAAAAAA! STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT PLEASE!" Her hands and legs were now thrashing dangerously. Ice passed through her gloves and coated the whole bed and the wall behind.

_No, no, no, no!_ Anna thought as she stared at the ice and covered her mouth in shock with her hand.

Rapunzel and Anna couldn't take the cold anymore. They got off the bed and backed away, unable to do anything anymore. Anna wasn't about to give up though, she ran towards the screaming Elsa again but Rapunzel held her by her arm and pulled her back away from the forming ice. "Anna we have to get out of here! This room won't stand after a few minutes!"

Anna's eyes didn't leave Elsa's trembling and sweating form, "We can't leave her alone like this!" She shook her head, "No way!... I-I can't! There has to be a way to wake her up!"

When Elsa's legs got tangled in the bed sheets, things turned to chaos as Elsa screamed louder and Anna noticed how the gloves were now covered in frost, and the walls in thick ice. "Get away from me!" Elsa screamed in her sleep.

"Anna we don't have time! The room is freezing!" Rapunzel said fearfully. She didn't wait for Anna's protest she quickly dragged the girl towards the door but when they approached the door, they realized that it was completely frozen. "No! It's stuck!" Rapunzel screamed.

Anna's eyes were still on Elsa and she didn't want to leave her what so ever. Her heart drummed so fast she felt it would have burst out.

"PAPAAAAAAAAAAA!" As Elsa's screams grew louder, the room started to vibrate and Anna finally realized how dangerous the situation was becoming. Rapunzel looked around the room with a fearful speed and her eyes landed on the window. "Over there! The window, come on!"

Rapunzel dragged Anna towards the window and shoved it open. She went through and leaned her hand for Anna so she could help her. Anna took one last look at Elsa and was having second thoughts but her eyes widened in terror when she noticed the snow blizzard that was now forming inside the room. Then, she was suddenly pulled quickly through the window, "NO! We can't leave her! She's scared! We have to help her!... Elsaaa! Wake up! NOOO!"

Anna was now out of the building, she quickly turned to kill whoever pulled her to see Kristoff, Flynn, Rapunzel and Aiden staring at her in concern. "WHY DID YOU PULL ME OUT!? Elsa is still in there!" Anna shrieked in rage.

"Anna you can't go back! It's too dangerous!" Flynn argued.

"But Elsa is in there and she is in danger too you fucking bozo!"

Aiden was staring at the building in an utter concerned and with a terrified face. _No! No, no, no, no! Please!_

"Anna, please!" Kristoff suddenly begged with a concerned tone. He didn't want her to go in there… to her probably own death. He cared about her too much and he would be crushed if anything happened to her.

Anna's voice softened a bit when seeing her crush so concerned, "Kristoff, I have to please! I can't leave her." She said while pointing at the building, "I care so much about her, Kristoff… I…" She suddenly paused and felt her tears trickle down her cheeks, "I love her." She confessed before she quickly turned to the window and gasped to see the window shut by thick ice and Elsa's screams were now heard as muffles. Anna collapsed to the ground as she felt helpless and stared at the iced window. "Elsa…" She whispered as if she was saying her goodbyes. _No… _

"NO!" Aiden suddenly screamed and brought Anna back from her thoughts. "We have to break it down! Come on, Anna! W-We can't leave Elsa there!"

The others were shocked at his tone of voice that came out so worried.

Anna didn't even have time to think about it. She quickly nodded and followed Aiden.

Aiden started to hit the ice with his axe and another scream from Elsa would have made him crumble to the ground but he was determined to stay strong and to save her. He hit the ice again and again, trying desperately to even result in a scratch but the ice was firm and strong, "No, no, no! Why, Why!?... Op-…-en… up!" He said as he attacked the ice with all his strength but to no use.

Anna couldn't take it anymore. She knew it was all in vain. She was going to lose Elsa. She suddenly felt a huge hand on her shoulder and she knew who it was. She quickly turned and hid her face in Kristoff's chest as she cried and cried, hoping that a miracle would happen and Elsa would be saved. Kristoff's face turned solemn as he held Anna tightly.

Rapunzel was already grieving in Flynn's hug. And everything was silent except the muffled screams of Elsa, the raging blizzard inside and Aiden's desperate cries for help.

Flynn quickly moved and grabbed the desperate Aiden and pulled him away, "Enough, Aiden! It's no use!" He said as Aiden struggled in his grip.

"NO! There has to be a way! Flynn help me with this! Kristoff! Please! Anyone!" Aiden desperately screamed in concern as he readied himself to witness Elsa's doom. This was it. He was never going to hear that angelic laugh of hers, that gorgeous, innocent smile or those big, brilliant and beautiful eyes. _No… Please, no!_ And for the first time in forever, Aiden felt his long lost tears stream down his cheeks.

* * *

**I should really stop with the cliffhangers... But i just LOVE THEM SO MUCH!**

**COME ONNNN... Review people! I have 300 followers and only like 15 people review xD Who i thank very dearly of course! :* *kisses and hugs to my faithful readers!***

**Can you even imagine what is happening to me as i wrote this chapter? And Especially Elsa's nightmare? I have to imagine EVERYTHING! In order to write it.**

**I... HATE... MAD **

**Me: Hey, Mad?**

**Mad: Yeah?**

**Me: Fuck you! *burn him on a stack!* Burn bitch! Burn! Fucking liaaarr! How dare you do this to Elsa you motha fucker! and then you dare accuse her like that?! WTF!**

**You have no idea the pleasure that i feel that i am able to do anything t these two son of a bitches (The king and Mad)... I feel... POWER! Mwahhahah!**

**~Lany :)**

**Next Chapter: A Mother's Sacrifice  
**


	28. A Mother's Sacrifice

**I decided to change the chapter's title to: **

**A Mother's Sacrifice**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXVI: A Mother's Sacrifice

Aphrodite was taking a walk around the halls since she couldn't allow herself to sleep. Hearing Elsa's screams these past days were her own nightmare. Every time she had heard them, she would cry and force herself to stay awake. She knew she did not deserve to sleep while her troubled daughter couldn't. She had already asked many people about how to stop these nightmare attacks but she kept receiving the same answer: "I don't know. I have never seen such a case." And tonight, Aphrodite couldn't sleep for real. She wanted to help Elsa in any way she could. As she walked in circles, thinking about a solution for Elsa, she suddenly heard it…The loud screams. Yet this time, they were full with terror, desperation and pain, that Aphrodite never heard them so horrifying. Her eyes widened when she recognized the voice, "Elsa?!" She whispered and looked around, confused. Another scream from Elsa and Aphrodite had enough. She started sprinting towards the screams as fast as she could. _What is happening to her!?... These god damn nightmares! _She thought in utter concern. Some guild members poked their heads from their rooms, all sleepy and tired yet confused and fearful because of the screams. Aphrodite ignored the weird and confused looks they were giving her and she had only one thing in her mind: Her daughter was screaming in fear and pain and she had to get to her as fast as she could. "I'm coming, Elsa!" She called out.

When she finally arrived, she gasped in horror at seeing the completely frozen door, and the extremely cold waves coming out from Elsa's room didn't go unnoticed. "Holy… God…" She stared in horror for a minute before she realized that her daughters were in there. "Anna?! Elsa!? Rapunzel?! Anyone?! What's happening in there!? Open the door!" She quickly tried to shove the door open but it wouldn't budge. Elsa screamed again and Aphrodite felt a whole wave of dread and concern overwhelm her body. She lost her mind and forgot about everything. She started hitting the door with her shoulder. "ELSAAAA!... I'm coming, Elsa!... I'm coming!" She leaned back and hit the door with her shoulder again, "Why… won't… you… budge!" She tried again and again. _She needs me! She needs me! My baby is screaming!_ _She needs me!_ But the door wouldn't open. She started to look around quickly and tried desperately to find anything that would help her. Elsa screamed again and Aphrodite clutched her head with her hands as she felt she would have collapsed to the ground. In her panic, she started throwing random things at the door, begging it to open. "Elsaaa!... I'm here, Elsa!" She called out but she knew Elsa couldn't hear anything. _Please, God! Please!_ The adrenaline rushing in her body added so much of a desperate strength that finally with a loud scream from Aphrodite, she ran towards the door and smashed it open, using her entire body. When she entered, the door closed again and started to refreeze. Aphrodite stumbled to the floor-… More like snow. She gasped in horror when she saw the blizzard, the frozen room all around and the snow that covered the floor. The scene was so familiar. She found herself immobile and just stared as images of the ambush snow storm flashed in her mind and the day… the unforgettable, disgracing day when she left Elsa alone. But not this time. She shook her head and casted away the images and turned determined. She wasn't going to leave Elsa again. Not anymore. She brought her arms to cover her eyes from the snow storm. She tried to look around the blizzard and noticed that Anna and Rapunzel were nowhere to be found. She forgot about all that when she noticed Elsa's shaking form on the frozen bed. She ignored the frostbites and the ice forming on her arms and hands, lifted herself up and ran to her daughter. Even when it was extremely cold, she didn't care. Elsa was crying and screaming with her eyes closed and she was clutching the bed sheets tightly. Aphrodite felt her tears form but she also felt them freeze on her cheeks. Her eyes hovered shockingly over Elsa's trembling body. "Elsa?! Elsa! Wake up! Wake up, sweety! Wake up! It's just a nightmare!" She called but noticed how Elsa didn't even look as if she heard. Instead, Elsa screamed, "STOOOPPP!"

Aphrodite started to tremble by seeing her daughter in such condition… and also from the cold. _Please make it stop! Make it stop! Whatever it is happening to her! Make it stop! _Aphrodite cursed everything around her and was only able to do one thing in all her panic and inside all of that storm. She quickly cradled Elsa in her arms, hugged her tightly to her chest and ignored how her daughter's body temperature was so cold that Aphrodite felt pain all over her own body. Elsa started to flail aggressively, "NO! LEAVE ME ALONE, MAD! LEAVE ME ALONE!" Yet even with Elsa's extremely cold temperature, Aphrodite ignored the pain in her arms and held Elsa closer, "Elsa, no! It's me! I'm here, Elsa!... I'm here! You're safe now! You're with me!" She hugged her even tighter and Elsa kept trying to struggle. Aphrodite then let out a sob of despair as she held her freaked out daughter and she couldn't take it anymore. She leaned down to whisper in her daughter's ears, "Mama's here, now… I'm here. I won't leave you alone anymore."

With that the whole blizzard disappeared in an instant as if it was never there. Yet the cries and whimpers of Elsa where still present. "Stop… Stop… Please… Mama… Make it… Stop…" Elsa cried in her sleep.

Aphrodite tears dripped on Elsa's platinum hair. She couldn't believe that this woman was her daughter. This wasn't her daughter! Her daughter was strong, brave and happy! This woman was broken, terrified and sad. Could it really be that all of that change had went this wrong?

"S-Shhhhhh…" She shushed, "I-I'm here, Elsa. You're okay, now." She whispered with a quivering voice and ignored the awful pain in her now-cold body.

Elsa suddenly clutched Aphrodite's dress as if she was holding for dear life. She was trembling badly and she was sweating all over. "It hurts… It hurts!"

_I know! I know! Oh dear, I know!_ Aphrodite stared down at her daughter sorrowfully and winced as she caressed the platinum hair with injured and stinging hands, and tried to sooth her daughter but Elsa kept trembling and crying out fearful words. "I'm… sorry… Mama!... I'm sorry!" And Aphrodite knew that Elsa was still in her nightmare_. I am the one sorry, Elsa! I'm the one who should have been in your place! You shouldn't be sorry! It was all my fault!_ She was so close to feel hopeless and helpless for her daughter and she was this close to believe that she was about to lose her in her hands tonight, but suddenly an idea popped in her head. She cradled Elsa's form even more and held her tightly as she started lulling her out of her nightmare and into her sleep. She leaned closer to Elsa ears and smiled.

**(Music rhythm and song from Noble Maiden Fair – Brave but with these lyrics)**

Little Snowflake, close your eyes

The sun is going down, now

She started rocking her gently back and forth and placed her cheek on her daughter's head. Elsa's breath started to relax.

_Deep in our hearts, love shall thrive_

_No one can hurt you now_

Elsa stopped whimpering as she heard the voice she long loved and treasured. The voice she truly missed and nearly even forgot. The Lullaby… Hers and her mother's lullaby that they always used to sing together. The lullaby that always calmed both down.

_When you're alone, hear my voice_

_I'll be here when you need me_

That voice… That beautiful, most soothing voice, just sent a wave of comfort and warmness. Elsa suddenly buried her face in Aphrodite's waist, taking in the scent she missed so horribly. She stopped her cries, yet her face still showed pain. Aphrodite stroked Elsa's hair again with a cold, trembling hand and kept singing softly. The ice on the walls and the snow on the ground started to melt. Elsa's tears suddenly ran down her cheeks, "M-Mama…" Her voice came out so sorrowful and Aphrodite's heart was shattered in two, yet she forced herself to be strong and continued since the lullaby was working. She inhaled shakily, then,

_L-Little Baby, count on me_

_I promise, I'll never let you go._

As the room returned to its normal temperature, Elsa's face finally softened and relaxed as she at last found her peaceful slumber. Elsa's arms wrapped around Aphrodite's waist as she squeezed her mother as if she didn't want to let go and she finally fell to a calming sleep. Aphrodite wanted to cry so badly. She forgot… Forgot how it felt like to have her baby, Elsa, in her arms. She felt as if she was holding Elsa on the day she was born. She stared happily at Elsa's now-noticeable freckles, since they were once hidden by all the bruises. _I'm so sorry, Elsa… I'm so sorry for all what happened to you!_ She brushed her finger on Elsa's cheeks and wiped away her daughter's stray tears. She did not even care if Elsa woke up. She wanted to have this moment for herself and her daughter. The moment she had been wishing for ever since the dreadful day. She was finally having a moment with Elsa and she wasn't going to let anyone ruin it. She didn't care that she was holding a woman in her arms as if she was holding a small child. Couldn't she at least have this moment? Her eyes trailed to Elsa's body and realized for the first time how much her daughter really have grown. She couldn't help but smile on how Elsa grew to become a beautiful woman. Despite her wounds, Elsa's beauty didn't go to waste. She saw how her platinum hair grew long enough to reach right above her waist. How her chubby baby cheeks were replaced with a nice jaw line and into high cheekbones. As she tried to take every single detail of her daughter's face and body, she saw the long and thick eyelashes, the thin eyebrows, the long legs and the slim fingers. Her eyes then trailed to Elsa's neck and shoulders. She bit her lip and her eyebrows formed a line of concern when she witnessed the scars. Her right hand left Elsa's head as it went down to brush the scars on Elsa's back. She just didn't even understand how the hell these scars ended up around Elsa's entire body. She didn't even dare to think of what caused these scars. She closed her eyes, unable to witness the scars as she kept her hand on them. _How could this all happen?! What did she ever do to deserve this?! What did I ever do to end up with such a man!_ She opened her teary eyes again and removed her hand off of Elsa's back and started brushing Elsa's head. "I swear to you, Elsa… I won't let your damn father get away of what he did to you." She whispered and held Elsa protectively tighter and savored every peaceful moment she was finally now having with her long lost daughter. She didn't care that she was freezing from the cold she forced her body to ignore, she didn't care about her stinging and burning hands, she didn't care about how she's feeling a bit dizzy from the cold, she only cared about one thing, and it was her daughter, Elsa. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she closed her eyes and relaxed with her daughter.

* * *

_Please… Please someone help her!_ Was what all Anna thought of as she buried her face in Kristoff's chest. "Flynn! Kristoff! Please god damn it! Help me!" She heard Aiden's desperate cries and that made her feel much worse.

Suddenly, Elsa's screams stopped and everyone felt their heart skip a beat. Anna's eyes slowly widened and she turned to look at the frozen window, "No…" She managed to say. This was it… Elsa was gone. Probably frozen to death.

"No screams…" Flynn muttered in surprise.

"We have to get inside! T-The nightmare is probably finished! Right?!... S-She can't be…" Aiden trailed off and didn't dare say the word.

Anna stared with unblinking eyes at the frozen window. _How did I dare leave her to freeze to death!_ She couldn't forget how the room's temperature was. Her head slowly turned to look at Kristoff, Rapunzel and Flynn, "She… She's gone?" She asked with a breath and pleading eyes. No one dared say a word. Tears ran down Anna's cheeks when she didn't get an answer and she placed a hand on her mouth and let out a muffled sob and started mourning for her best friend.

Aiden saw this and he shook his head. He ran to her, "No, Anna! S-She's alive! I know she is! She is strong! M-Maybe she woke up! Maybe she's no longer in the room! Maybe she's all well and she's looking for you, Anna!" He wasn't going to lose hope just yet. "T-The door! We can smash it open! All of us!" He quickly didn't wait for the others and grabbed Anna's hand, "Come on, Anna!" He pushed her up, "Come on, girl… We're going to save Elsa." He started running as he practically dragged Anna behind him.

Seeing Aiden with hope, Anna stopped her sobs and quickly wiped her tears away and ran behind him. _Yes… She's okay… She's okay… The nightmare stopped… The nightmare stopped._ She convinced herself and kept praying for Elsa's wellbeing. Everyone else quickly followed the two and none had time to notice that the ice around the window was melting.

* * *

When they arrived, they all saw the shocked, horrified and angry crowd that formed outside Elsa's bedroom. But the more shocking thing that had their attention was that Elsa's door wasn't frozen anymore.

"What's happening?" Rapunzel muttered.

"I don't know, come on!" Anna said as she felt even more concerned.

They pushed through the crowd that gave them both glares and worried looks. They were first met with an angry Tyler and a worried Brandon.

"Brandon! What's wrong?! Where's Elsa!?" Aiden asked.

Tyler and Brandon turned to look at them. "You!" Tyler screamed at them. "This is all your fault! You brought this _thing_ here!" He yelled in rage, followed by murmurs and angry shouts of agreement from some of the people in the crowd. And everything happened fast, Tyler was pushed and pinned to the wall, "If you dare say anything about her, I will kill you myself." Aiden intimidated as he pinned the man and received shocked looks from everyone. "She has a name and it's Elsa. If you dare call her anything else I won't hesitate to rip you in half."

Tyler glared at him, "Why do you even fucking care! She is ruining everything I worked hard to build!"

Aiden released him and the man collapsed to the ground. "_We _built all this… Not just you." _And I care for Elsa more than anyone. _He finally confessed to himself.

Anna and her friends were already angry at Tyler and Anna mentally praised Aiden. She turned to Brandon, not caring about Tyler. "Brandon, have you seen Elsa?! Did you get her out?!"

Brandon shook his head, "None of us dared enter the room, Anna! The door was completely frozen and it just suddenly thawed!"

"You mean Elsa is still in there?!" Anna yelled in horror and stared at him in disbelieve. She quickly turned to Aiden, "Aiden! Come on, leave Tyler alone! We have to get to Elsa!"

With one last warning and intimidating look to Tyler, Aiden quickly turned and nodded.

They ran to the door and shoved it open and their eyes widened when they saw Aphrodite and the most shocking thing was that Elsa was sleeping in her arms and Aphrodite was shivering terribly from the cold. "Mum?!" Anna called in shock.

Aphrodite opened her eyes and looked up shakily at them and smiled weakly, "S-S-She's… S-Sleeping." She managed to say as she trembled.

Everyone quickly ran to the two in concern. When Brandon saw Aphrodite's condition, his heart stopped. Aphrodite's lips and hands were trembling and blue. "What did you do, you crazy woman?" He asked as both He and Anna released Elsa from her grasp and helped Aphrodite off the bed.

"Mum?... Your hands!" Anna said in concern as she help Aphrodite from her elbow and witnessed her mother's hands that were frostbitten all over. She just couldn't believe that her mother nearly sacrificed herself to save Elsa and She couldn't feel any warmer and prouder towards her. She quickly turned to Flynn and quietly said, "Call for a healer!"

Flynn nodded and quickly scurried off to oblige.

Rapunzel and Aiden quickly rushed to Elsa to check if she was okay and fortunately she was. _Oh thank god! She's asleep._ Aiden thought, relieved. Rapunzel quickly grabbed a new bed sheet and wrapped it around Elsa, fearing that the princess was freezing too, not knowing that Elsa never felt cold.

Aphrodite shakily got off the bed with the help of Brandon and Anna. She was trembling none stop and her breath was labored. "E-E-Elsa… Elsa… can't… L-Leave… A-Alone." Aphrodite managed to say as she tried to turn to look at Elsa and felt she would pass out at any minute.

Brandon shook his head, "Don't worry about Elsa. She's not alone now. You have to get warm! You're freezing! What were you thinking!?" He said and with the help of Anna, led the poor mother to a warmer room and Aphrodite received concerned looks from the other members as she passed by with the help of Anna and Brandon.

The people were more than shocked. "It's Leanna!" "She was in there with her!" "She stopped her from screaming!" "She saved her!" The murmurs grew around the members and villagers. They just couldn't believe that Leanna… The most cold and stern woman they could ever meet, cared for Elsa so much and would have sacrificed herself to save her. Some said it was bravery, some said it was lunacy and others now believed that the stern Leanna had a soft spot after all. But to Elsa? That was more than weird.

As Aphrodite, Anna and Brandon passed, they didn't notice Tyler's glare.

* * *

When they arrived, they sat the shaking Aphrodite on a chair.

_Oh, mother… You really are one crazy, great woman._ Anna thought as she smiled at her mother but she was still utterly worried for her. She turned to look towards the door so she could try and see the form of Elsa and she saw Kristoff standing in the doorway and he gave her a thumb up. Anna mentally sighed in relief. She turned her attention to her mother, "Why did you do that? You would have been killed!" Anna asked as she grabbed a cloak that one of the members gave her and wrapped it around her cold mother.

Aphrodite shakily shook her head, making sure her terribly stinging hands wouldn't be touched by anything. "E-Elsa… scared… S-S-Scream… N-Nightmare." She managed to breath and Anna sat next to her and wrapped her arm around her mother's shoulder to give her more warmth while Brandon knelt and placed a hand on her knee and looked up at her in concern. Aphrodite looked at them, "I-I… Had to… H-H-Help her." She then gave them a weak smile, "S-She's… O-Okay now."

"Oh, Mum…" Anna said gently as she hugged her mother tighter and rested her cheek on Aphrodite's shoulder. "You do that to all your patients too, right?" Anna asked with a smirk.

Aphrodite tried to laugh. "M-… M-Maybe." She replied with a wide smile and leaned closer to her daughter, taking in the warmth.

* * *

When he was sure that Elsa was okay, Aiden got up and smiled at her. He then turned to Rapunzel, "Be sure to keep her safe, would you?" He asked and received a sly smirk from Rapunzel.

"Don't worry. She's fine." Rapunzel said and her smirk grew wider.

Aiden frowned, "Why are you smiling like that?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh nothing… I'm just amused." Rapunzel teased and her smirk grew when she received a confused look from Aiden.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Aiden asked.

Rapunzel turned to look at Elsa and hid her smirk, "You," She paused and turned to bat her eyelashes at him, "And Elsaaaa…" She sing-songed.

Aiden's eyes widened, "W-What!?... N-No, no I'm not! She's still scared of me for god's sake! She still has a lot of things to-"

"Stop lying to me." Rapunzel said playfully. "I'm blonde, not blind." She deadpanned.

"You're just talking nonsense." Aiden defended and blushed hard.

"First sign of Love is Deniaaalll!" Rapunzel sing-songed again.

Aiden couldn't get any redder, "You definitely lost your mind." He quickly turned and left, leaving a giggling Rapunzel.

_Yup… He is definitely into her._ Rapunzel thought. She then looked at Elsa and smiled, "Well, Elsa. Looks like you were able to gain Aiden's heart." She said softly. Her eyes then glanced around the room, trying to see how much damage was done. The furniture was wet from the thawed ice and a lot of things were thrown randomly around the room because of the blizzard. Rapunzel's eyes shot wide when she saw Elsa's gifts. The two flowers. Zoey's gift, The Blue Hydrangea, was completely destroyed. Yet what caught Rapunzel's eyes was the strange blue rose… That was now dark red, wasn't completely destroyed, only sick and withered and not even bloomed anymore. It was as if the rose closed itself. "No… How?!" She whispered to herself. The rose was dull red and there was no sign of the blue color anymore. She approached the flowers and looked at the plants in surprise. She suddenly gasped and took a step back when she saw the frost and ice on the table and around the rose pot was crawling towards it and into the dirt of the pot as if the rose was the one absorbing everything in. The rose suddenly started to revive and became fully healthy and bright red, yet it was still closed. Then, the ice that went inside the pot, crawled out from the stem and coated the whole rose as if the plant itself was releasing it. Rapunzel watched, speechless in awe as she saw how the rose now looked like a magnificent ice sculpture. She brought her hand up and tried to touch it but right before she could, the ice around the rose broke down and revealed a bright blue rose that suddenly started to bloom unnaturally fast and Rapunzel would have sworn that the rose looked much healthier than before too.

"What in the heavens…" Were the only words than Rapunzel was able to pronounce.

* * *

Aiden arrived at Aphrodite's room and entered. "Hey there." He greeted gently and smiled warmly at Aphrodite, Anna and Brandon, who all sat next to the fire. "How are you?"

Aphrodite, still trembling, nodded with a tiny smile. "I-I'm fine."

Aiden closed the door behind him and walked closer, "You, Anna and Elsa really love to worry us all now, don't you?"

Anna giggled at that and Aphrodite smiled wider. "You are just jealous because you don't have a mother so strong and brave like mine." Anna joked and made him laugh.

"No doubt in that." He agreed playfully.

A knock on the door was heard and the door opened to reveal Flynn and Waela. "Hey guys, I brought Waela." Flynn announced and motioned for Waela to come in.

When Waela saw Aphrodite's hands, she gasped loud. "Leanna! What happened to you?!" She quickly ran to tend to Aphrodite's injuries.

"She's fine Waela, don't worry." Brandon said with a smile to assure the worried old woman.

Waela quickly grabbed her medical kit and moved to bandage Aphrodite's hands.

Aphrodite winced when Waela started to rub a remedy on her hands and then bandaged them. "I have no idea how you got these frostbites… We're in summer for goodness' sake!" Waela said with a tone that came out like she was scolding her daughter. Waela's eyes suddenly widened, "Wait… Was it the princess who did this to you?!" Waela asked and was obviously uninformed about the thing that just happened.

"No, Waela…" Anna shook her head, "My mum actually saved Elsa when she was trapped in a freezing room and a nightmare."

"Oh my…" Waela looked at Aphrodite and smirked, "Well, looks like you do care quite greatly for the princess." And at that Anna smirked too.

_Tell me about it._ Anna thought jokingly.

When Waela was done with Aphrodite's hands she looked up at the woman glared at her playfully, "Next time you wanna enter a freezing room, be sure to wear gloves." She warned as if she was scolding a child.

Aphrodite playfully rolled her eyes, "Th-Thank you, Waela… I-I'll make sure of that." She said with a voice that still shivered a bit from the cold.

Waela nodded with a smile, grabbed her stuff and left.

Aphrodite then turned to Aiden, "H-How is… Elsa?"

"Can you stop thinking about Elsa and care for your health just for a sec?" Brandon said with a humored tone.

"She's alright, don't worry." Aiden reassured with a smile.

"Can you imagine how happy Elsa will be when we tell her that you saved her life?!" Anna said excitedly.

"N-No." Aphrodite suddenly denied.

"Wait, what?... Why?!" Anna asked, confused.

Aphrodite sighed, "Anna… If Elsa see me l-like this, she'll think that sh-she hurt me with her powers… A-And she'll get r-really scared… W-We don't… want that, remember? I don't want her t-to think she's a monster who could hurt people." Aphrodite explained and already knew how her daughter always had a bit of fear towards hurting someone with her powers when she was little but now, it was beyond fear.

Anna thought for a moment and knew that her mother was one hundred percent right. She sighed, "I guess you're right." She said in defeat and disappointment and lowered her head.

Aphrodite saw this and smiled sadly, "Don't worry… I still want that day with Elsa that you'll arrange." She confessed, "But I have to rest a bit first."

Anna's face couldn't lit up more, "Really!?" She asked excited, "Oh this will be a great day! I promise. Thank you so much for saving Elsa! She was really lucky that you were there!" Anna then hugged her mother tightly and kissed her cheek. "And now, got to go check on her. And again… I told you that you are a great, brave and warm person who would do anything to keep me and everyone I care dearly for, safe."

Aphrodite hugged her back and sighed, "I'm just a mother then Anna. What you care about, I care about." And that was a fact with some hidden information.

Anna giggled, "Then who knows… Maybe you can be a mother for Elsa too." Anna joked and winked and didn't realize how true her words were.

Aphrodite felt a bit nervous but she shook it away. "I'm- uh… I-I'm glad Elsa is okay now. You can go check on her, Sunshine. I'm fine here. Brandon's with me." Aphrodite assured and looked at Brandon with a friendly smile.

Brandon felt his heart flutter and smiled back happily.

Anna then hugged her one last time, "Okay, then. I'll see you tomorrow morning. You should get some sleep. We're still at midnight." She turned to Brandon, "You better keep my Mama safe, Mister!" She said playfully and made him giggle.

"On my honor." He promised and placed a hand on his chest.

Anna, Aiden and Flynn then went out from Aphrodite's room and left a tired Aphrodite and a relieved and happy Brandon. Outside, they were met with Kristoff and Anna's smile couldn't grow more.

* * *

They were walking back to Elsa's bedroom when they saw the worried and angry crowd. They quickly rushed to calm them.

"What's happening here, guys?" Aiden asked.

The people turned their attention to the two thieves. "We can't take it anymore." One man started, "We can't sleep because of her! And my children are getting terrified at night!" He said angrily.

"Besides that," A woman began, "She's freezing everything she touches! This sanctuary will come down one day, I tell you!" She said and sent loud worried murmurs around the crowd.

"Hey! Wait, wait!" Anna shouted at them. "She didn't mean to freeze her room she's just-"

"Freeze her room?!" Another man yelled, "She blew the sanctuary, then nearly froze the fort! And it's not the first time she froze her room!" He said as he reminded them of past nights, "But tonight she would have destroyed it completely! Not just freeze it!" Another loud murmurs of agreement were heard.

"And then at the infirmary when she had her panic attack!" A healer called.

"Who knows maybe she is doing all this on purpose!" One woman called angrily and received a 'Yeah' from everyone.

Anna and the other men couldn't believe that all those people were so scared of Elsa. "You guys can't be serious!" Aiden said in disbelief.

"What if one day we wake up to see our children frozen to death!" A man said fearfully and now cries of fear were heard.

Anna then quickly decided to calm them down, "Hey, hey, hey! Listen to me! You guys are over exaggerating! You have to understand that she's really scared of herself!"

The room became silent as everyone listened and then, one man scoffed, "And how is that possible?"

"Guys, please! Be reasonable! You guys still don't know that Elsa had been tortured for fifteen years!" Flynn admitted and everyone started to gasp and whisper in shock.

"She was being mistreated by her own father! She thinks she is a monster because of her powers. She's so scared of hurting someone!... You all know Little Zoey, right? Well guess what? Elsa didn't even dare to come near her so she couldn't hurt her!" Anna explained.

"You already listened how she screams at night from those terrible nightmares." Aiden said and few of the people started to agree.

"Can you imagine how much she suffered that it drove her to have those nightmares? God! Sometimes she can't even wake up from them! She doesn't want to wake up terrified and trembling every night, guys! She wants to be a normal person like us!" Anna said.

"If you guys show her that you're scared she'll never get better." Kristoff joined.

"What if you put yourself in her place?! Or your children in hers! Would you dare watch your children get tortured and beaten and then hated, when on the inside, all what they want is to be happy and have friends!?" Anna asked and took in every expression the people now were making.

Some's faces turned ashamed and guilty about how they accused Elsa. Some gave Anna a smile and had sympathetic looks for Elsa and few were still stubborn and weren't convinced.

"There you go." Anna said happily, "Now… Everyone go to sleep. I bet you're all tired. And… Sorry about the screams and all. It's not actually in Elsa's hands to control them."

And the people started to part away and went back to get their sleep.

"Way to go, big girl." Aiden praised and ruffled Anna's hair.

Anna glared at him and pushed his hand away playfully, "Thank you for ruining my hair, Eedoo." Anna teased.

"Ah… Please stop calling me that!" Aiden whined with a pout and made Anna giggle.

"Ah come on, Eedoooo!" Flynn mocked and received a death glare from Aiden.

Anna laughed at the look on Aiden's face, then, "We should check on Elsa, guys." Anna said and received a nod from the others.

They were back on their tracks to Elsa's room and didn't notice that Tyler was amongst the crowd. Tyler then gave them a glare and went to Aphrodite's room.

* * *

"You are really one crazy woman, you know that?" Brandon said as he poured the hot tea for Aphrodite.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Aphrodite joked and sipped her tea.

Brandon was more than thankful that she was alright and that she stopped shivering. "You do realize that not long ago, you just walked into a supernatural blizzard? You could have been frozen to death!"

Aphrodite sighed, "Its Elsa, Brandon. She needed me. And… I would do more than just freeze to death if it would stop her suffering."

"Well next time you wanna do such a thing, be sure to tell someone at least." He informed with a smirk.

"Sorry about that… But I just wasn't thinking of anything but her. She was so scared, Brandon. There was no way I was going to leave her and call for someone else. If I have wasted another minute, the room would have broken down on her head." She explained.

Brandon nodded in understanding.

The door suddenly flew open and Tyler stomped inside. "This has to stop!" He shouted angrily and surprised them. He made his way to Aphrodite and pointed a finger at her, "Your daughter will kill us all if we keep her here!"

Aphrodite was taken aback by the sudden presence of Tyler before she realized what he was saying, "How dare you say that about my daughter!" She yelled back and stood up to meet his eye level.

"Know your place, Tyler." Brandon warned and reminded Tyler that he was talking to a Queen.

Tyler ignored Brandon and continued, "Since the moment your reckless daughter and those stupid friends of hers brought her here, we had nothing but trouble!... With ice! How many times should we clean the ice after her?!"

"My daughter can't control her powers you stupid man! She would never do all this on purpose!" Aphrodite shrieked back.

"WELL YOUR HUSBAND HAD DONE THE RIGHT THING BY LOCKING HER UP!" Tyler said before he could stop himself.

"Why y-you…" Aphrodite's voice vibrated from the wrath she was holding.

"And maybe we should too! She's dangerous and we should lock her up right away before she could hurt anyone!"

Aphrodite's eyes twitched. Her anger turned to rage and she clenched her fists tightly as she sneered at the doomed man in front of her. And Brandon knew that _Momma Bear_ was going to come out.

Without a warning, Aphrodite suddenly grabbed the chair near her and smashed it with all her strength on Tyler, sending him to the ground. "IF YOU EVER THINK OF THAT AGAIN I WON'T HESITATE TO RIP YOUR BALLS IN HALF!" She screamed with eyes so dark and full with hate and her fists were trembling with anger.

Tyler groaned in pain, wiped the blood off of his nose and turned to look at her in shock, "You fucking bitch!" Tyler yelled and got up on his feet to run at the woman but he was suddenly pushed down by Brandon.

"That's enough, Tyler!" Brandon yelled, "Get out of here!" He commanded.

Tyler stared at him with disgust, "You forgot who you're talking to, Brandon! I'm the chief of this god damn fort! And it's all because of… HER fucking daughter," He spat and pointed towards Aphrodite, "That this fort won't last long! My work will go to waste!"

"She already told you that Elsa can't control her powers." Brandon argued.

"And I stand firm by my opinion on locking her-"

Aphrodite was about to grab the fire poker and shove it right into his head but Brandon quickly pushed him out of the room.

"Get the fuck out, Tyler!" Brandon said and shoved him out from the door.

Tyler turned with a glare and stared at the raging mother. He pointed a finger at her, "Mark my word, Aphrodite of Arendelle… There would come a day when you will realize how dangerous she is and you will have to lock her up with your own hands. And if not you, your other daughter will." And with that he closed the door with a smash and left a speechless Aphrodite.

* * *

When Anna and the other men entered, they found the sleeping form of Elsa and Rapunzel who was staring in amazement at the blue rose more than Elsa herself did before.

Rapunzel turned to them with wide eyes. "Guys you have to see this!" She called with a whisper and gestured for them to come forth.

With confused faces, Anna and the men approached. "What is it Rapunzel?" Flynn asked.

"Oh no! Zoey's flower!" Anna said sadly in surprise.

"No, no, no! Not that!" Rapunzel said again, "Look! The rose… I-It's blue!"

Anna and the other men exchanged weird looks, "Uh… Of course it's blue. That's Elsa's flower remember? It was already blue." Anna said with a bit of humor in her tone.

Rapunzel shook her head, "No, guys! It was red! I saw it with my own eyes! It was dull red and also it was withered! Then suddenly it started absorbing the ice around it! And then it suddenly released the ice and froze itself and it was AMAZING! Then all of a sudden the ice disappeared and the rose turned b-blue again and it started to bloom quickly! It was only when it released the ice! It was amazing guys! You should have seen it!"

Anna and the men tried to stifle a laugh, "Rapunzel, you totally lost it!" Anna mocked.

"What?" Rapunzel asked as she stared at them in disbelief. _They don't believe me!_

"Red rose turn blue? Ohhh was it magic?" Kristoff said as he chuckled.

"You didn't hit your head now didn't you?" Aiden asked with a smirk.

"Rapunzel, are you okay, dear?" Flynn asked and felt worried and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Rapunzel shook her head and shoved Flynn's hand off, "Guys, I'm serious! I swear all what I said is true! I've seen it with my own eyes! A-And look! The rose looks much healthier and better than when Bulda gave it to Elsa."

They turned to look at the flowers and realized that Rapunzel was right. The blue rose did look more blossomed. And they were shocked to see that Elsa's blizzard ruined the whole room yet the rose stood unscathed. "Uhm… We should probably ask Bulda about that later." Anna said as she stared cautiously at the weird plant.

"Wait. Did you say that the rose absorbed Elsa's ice?" Aiden asked and Rapunzel quickly nodded. "And you said that it bloomed when it released it again, right?"

"Yeah! It was first all red and closed when the ice stayed inside, but when it was released around the rose… Well… It just turned blue and bloomed. It was scary yet incredible!"

"Hmmm…" Aiden hummed in wonder as he scratched his head, "I have no information what so ever about this rose. I never even seen a blue one."

"Anna is right, we'll ask Bulda about this later. We have other stuff to worry about than a weird plant." Flynn informed and received a nod from everyone.

They all then turned to Elsa and Anna quickly ran to her side. Anna sat delicately and carefully at Elsa's side, not willing to wake her up, and Rapunzel did the same on the other side while the men sat around the bed on the chairs.

"We have to do something about this." Anna said in utter concern, stroking the platinum hair gently.

Everyone watched Elsa in worry. "I know!" Rapunzel whispered, "She's still suffering even after we got her out of there. It's… It's like the torture had followed her here!"

Anna bit her lip, "Yesterday I asked Master Walter about this and he said that he doesn't know anything about nightmares. He said that the problem is from inside her mind." She scoffed, "Well duuuhh! I already know it's something from inside her mind. It's a nightmare for god's sake! Of course it's from inside her mind! Where would it come from? Her butt?!" Anna said angrily at the Master's stupid, obvious and unhelpful advice.

"Maybe we should give her more time?" Rapunzel asked and her eyebrows formed a line of concern.

"One more night and the woman would rather kill herself than see… Whatever she is seeing in these horrible nightmares." Flynn said.

"Anna… We don't know what he did to Elsa all these years but we do know that it wasn't anything merciful or good at all. We barely saw little of what he was doing to her and we couldn't even stand it… I even fainted!" Rapunzel said and pointed at herself with both her hands.

"There has to be a way, guys." Anna started as she gave Elsa a sad look, "We can't just leave her to suffer at night. Who cares about this stupid sanctuary! Elsa will stay terrified if we don't get rid of those nightmares."

"It's been only a week since we got Elsa out of there, Anna." Aiden reminded, "Maybe Rapunzel is right. Maybe she really does need only time."

"It's been a week and every night would be the same!" Anna said in frustration, "I can't stand seeing her like that anymore. If it weren't for my mother, we would have lost Elsa tonight. Can you imagine?"

And at that Aiden felt utterly worried, "T-Then you're right! We should try and get rid of these nightmares."

"And besides the nightmares, we've seen that Elsa's gloves don't work if she's really scared. The room was a winter wonderland! The gloves didn't suppress her powers when she was so terrified. We have to be careful."

"What do you think he did to her all those years?" Rapunzel dared to ask.

Everyone turned to look at Elsa's scars, "I don't even wanna know." Anna said sadly.

None of them ever saw someone so traumatized and troubled like Elsa. They were still shocked that she even stayed alive.

They then all thought for ideas to get rid of those nightmares in silence, then, "What if we show her other stuff?" Kristoff suggested, "What if we make her _do_ other stuff? She'll be happy… Right?"

They looked at him, confused. "I don't quite get what you're saying." Anna said.

Kristoff leaned closer, "What I mean is… Elsa doesn't have good memories. We all know that all her life had been nothing but dark and miserable. If she doesn't have good memories, how the hell will she ever have a dream and not a nightmare?"

Anna suddenly gasped in joy when she realized what Kristoff was trying to say. "Why you hell of a genius! How didn't I think of that?! Elsa still have a lot to see! M-Maybe we can keep making her happy and add those happy thoughts to her mind, then she'll have enough to be able to have a dream and slowly get rid of those nightmares!"

"We can make Louis teach her how to cook!" Rapunzel suggested as she raised her hand, giving her opinion.

"Ouh! Maybe she'll love to try other kind of food!" Aiden said innocently and was confused when Anna and Rapunzel exchanged smirks.

"We'll probably need an armor for that." Anna joked to Rapunzel.

Rapunzel agreed playfully, "I just hope she won't spit everything at me or Louis."

"Remember. We should stay away from broccoli." Anna said.

"Why would she spit things? And why broccoli?" Flynn asked.

"Long story." Rapunzel told him as she patted his shoulder.

"And I have an idea!" Kristoff started, "I'll introduce her to Sven! You know reindeers are better than people and they make good friends! I think Elsa will love him." He chuckled a bit, "And maybe I can teach her how to ride. Or even drive the sled!"

Anna and the others laughed a bit at such a scene.

"I can teach her to use the bow or the sword! The girl need to learn to use a weapon in this crazy land now, wouldn't she?" Flynn said excitedly.

"We can take her to other villages or towns or- OH! To the waterfalls or the lake! She needs to get out of the fort for a while right?" Aiden said.

"Or maybe teach her how to dance!" Anna said and everyone fell silent as they stared at her blankly. Anna smiled shyly at how ridiculous her idea was, "Yeah, right. Psh! Elsa dancing. Haha… Crazy, right?" Anna rambled and rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly.

"I think there are a lot of things to do other than dancing." Aiden said, "You can barely touch her," He said as he pointed at Anna, "And we can't even come closer." He said, pointing at himself, Flynn, then Kristoff.

"And that's why she should get to know you guys! If she only knows me and Rapunzel and stay away from you and any other man, well… You guys can never be friends with her." Anna clasped her hands together happily, "So first thing's first, we should teach her how to trust men." Anna informed.

"Now that would be one hell of a challenge." Flynn deadpanned.

"It's worth the try." Aiden said, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'll start first!" Kristoff said happily, "Maybe she loves animals! They are cute and friendly and they make anyone happy!"

Anna smiled warmly at Kristoff, "I think she would like that very much."

"Well!" Rapunzel said, "Just like we planned? Tomorrow morning we'll start."

"Yup!" Anna agreed excitedly, "Let the mission of making Elsa happy begin!"

* * *

**Guys, i'm trying my best to update fast and the least you could do is review :)**

**So... Aphrodite ignored her pains so she could save Elsa... How sweet! :3**

**You guys will probably be surprised but my favorite character is Aphrodite. I think you already noticed how there this motherly smell in this story. Don't blame me but i hold my mother quite dearly to me so i kind of have this thing about motherly stuff :') GO MUMS! They are the best!**

**Next Chapter: A Reindeer's Friendship**


	29. Soaked Flowers

**I'm sorry that this is not the chapter of A Reindeer's friendship.**

**I should probably stop saying what the next chapter should be cause sometimes i change things and it results in having a whole new chapter, thus postponing the other if you know what i mean.**

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXVII: Soaked Flowers

It was around seven o'clock in the morning when Elsa started to wake. Everyone else were utterly tired and were sleeping like bears in hibernation. The past terrifying nights had stolen away a lot of their sleep and everyone was exhausted. The calm and relaxing sun rays gently lightened the room a bit and the only sound that was heard was the rooster's crow.

Elsa slowly lifted her eyelids. These past days, she had learned to wake up without instinctively starting to panic, fearing that her father would be present with her, ready to hurt her like every time she woke up in her cellar.

Her eyes quickly shot wide though, but it wasn't from fear. She quickly lifted herself up in a sitting position, "Mama…!" She whispered to herself. She started looking around-her long, wavy and loose hair swinging as she did- to try and desperately locate her mother. That voice she heard was angelic and soothing. She would never forget that voice that had sang to her every night when she was little. She looked around and only saw the weird sleeping form of Anna and the peaceful one of Rapunzel, but there was no sign of her mother. She suddenly buried her head in her hands and forced herself not to cry. Of course she thought she was hallucinating again.

_You killed her, Monster!... You killed her! She's dead! Never to return!_

The haunting words repeated in her head. Elsa squeezed her eyes shut and tried to send away the dreadful words that would make her feel delinquent and sinful. After a moment, she opened her eyes groggily and lifted her head from her hands. She brought her legs to her chest and started looking around again. It was only then did she realize that the room was not familiar. It wasn't her room, it was another, bigger one. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and wondered why and how they were moved here. Then, she remembered the nightmare. She gasp slightly as the sounds of Mad and her father's voices and her screams of the nightmare were suddenly heard in her mind. She winced and closed her ears. _No, no, no… Go away! Go away! _She begged the sounds to vanish but they continued to torment her for another five minutes, turning the rhythm of her heart beat fast, before everything turned silent. When she was sure that there were no more voices and sounds, she slowly slid her hands from her ears and her eyes darted cautiously around, making sure that Mad wasn't here. She quietly sighed in relief when she felt a bit safe. She never had experienced nightmares when she was locked away, and that's because she was_ living _a nightmare. She then turned to look at Anna, whom libs were tangled weirdly in the bed sheets and her hair was a mess. Anna let out a loud snore and Elsa couldn't help but smile lovingly at the woman. Elsa's eyes then wandered towards the rose. Elsa's eyes widened in awe when she saw it. The rose looked more beautiful than ever, and even bluer. Elsa then turned to get up quietly-not willing to wake the other women- and wanted to take a look at the amazing rose up close. She dangled her legs from the bedside and reached for the stick. Before she could get up, she stopped herself and raised an eyebrow in wonder. _I don't need that anymore, right? _She thought, looking at the stick in her hands. She bit her smiling lip, excited to try and walk without the support of that old damn stick. She placed the stick on the nightstand and readied herself to get up. She fidgeted in her seat, stuck her tongue out at the corner of her mouth and concentrated. She pushed herself up and her leg wobbled a bit and the only support she needed was her hand on the nightstand. When she was sure everything was fine, she slowly removed her hand off the nightstand and stood shakily straighter. Her lips formed a wide, delightful smile of excitement. _I did it! _She thought happily as she balanced herself. She then turned to look at her target… The rose. She started walking-with a bit of limping- towards the rose and she had the biggest excited smile on her face, just like a toddler who was learning his first steps. When she was a meter away from the table, she more like threw herself at the table edge and steadied herself. "Oof… Haha…" She laughed at her childish behavior. Then she saw it. The blue rose was so flawless and it stood all elegant and proud. Elsa brought her gloved hand and touched it in curiosity. She wanted so horribly to try and know what it _felt _like to touch it with her _bare_ fingers. Elsa looked down at her hands and felt in the tiny tickle on the finger that she used to touch the flower. She then suddenly frowned. She wanted actually to know how _everything_ felt to the touch. The wooden table, the bed sheets, the rose, the bread of the sandwich, the metal forks, the dirt, the grass… There was just so many things she wanted to let her real hands discover. Were those things smooth, silky and soft? Or were they rustic, harsh, rough and coarse like the stony floor of the cellar that her body had been always in contact with? She despised the leather barrier of the gloves that prevented her from accomplishing her desires. But she knew that it was for the very best. Removing her gloves? Yeah, right. Not even a second thought.

Elsa shook her head to relieve herself from such an impossible wish that was more like a miracle that would never_ ever_ happen. She returned her eyes on the rose and smiled. It was only then did she realize that something was missing. Elsa furrowed her eyebrows and looked around. _Where's Zoey's flower?!_ She thought, worriedly. And poor Elsa didn't know that she had caused a chaotic blizzard at night that destroyed the plant completely. She darted her eyes around the room to try and find it, but after a moment, her shoulders slumped in disappointment and sadness when she couldn't. _Maybe Anna knows where it is?_ She wondered and gave hope to herself. She turned back to the rose and her eyebrows lifted, "Water…?" She whispered and asked the rose. Her head slowly and nervously turned to the door. It was always Anna who had went out to bring water for the plants. Elsa tried to suppress a sly smile. Everyone was definitely asleep and she was just going to go out and bring some water. No harm, right?

She slowly walked towards the door and tried to reach for the handle. Her hand froze above the door knob. Was she really doing this? Was she really going to get out of the room without at least two people at her side? Her hand hesitantly lowered to grip the door handle. She turned it slowly and with every creak, she felt her heart beat faster. The lock clicked open and Elsa stifled a gasp. She took one more glance towards the sleeping Anna and Rapunzel, making sure they were asleep. _It's only water… I'm not going anywhere else… Just to bring water for the rose… Just for the rose. _Elsa then nodded to herself in determination and swung open the door slightly, enough for her to fit through.

And she was out.

* * *

Aiden sat on a barrel in the huge dining hall, thinking about what would make Elsa happy. He already awoke early since he was used to it, due to past quests and tasks given to him. _Maybe she likes to fish? _He thought desperately. It's been a whole hour since he woke up and he still couldn't find an idea for Elsa. Anything over exaggerating could turn to chaos regarding her specifically. So he was having hard times trying to find a simple way to make a tortured woman happy. It was a bit weird and strange to him. He had never met someone like Elsa. In both physical beauty, troubled mentality and vicious and cruel past. Now he understood why Rapunzel was so happy when Elsa started to at least soften to her. It really was the hardest thing anyone could ever do. Gaining Elsa's trust would be Heaven for him. Aiden groaned in frustration and buried his head in his hands, "Fish?!... Am I really that stupid?!" He said to himself angrily. _How about… Take her to The Summer festival in Agrowen! _His face lit up as he gasped joyfully but- _There will be a lot of people!... Aaaaghhhhh! She can't go there! She'll be terrified! _He let his head fall down in his hands again as he cursed himself and shook his head at his stupid idea. His eyes then widened when he heard light footsteps going louder and coming closer, but he suddenly heard a light gasp and the footsteps stopped. He quickly lifted his head and his eyes couldn't go any wider, "Elsa?" He called in surprise but he suddenly felt worried when he saw her face.

There, stood Elsa, holding a pottery water jar with eyes wide with shock. Her platinum hair looked even longer and more beautiful when loose. But what concerned Aiden that her brilliant eyes were suddenly full with fear. "Y-You're awake." He said nervously with a smile but Elsa stood frozen, unmoving and silent, and her face still showed utter worry and fear. He stood off the barrel and made sure he kept his distance from her, "L-Looks like you're one of those who wake up early, huh?" He asked and kept his goofy smile and Elsa kept staring. He started to get worried, wondering what she was thinking. His eyes widened in happiness when he noticed that Elsa was standing there without the stick, "I-I see you're walking!" He said happily, "That's great! It means you're feeling better!" He said cheerfully. Elsa suddenly started to back away fearfully, digging her nails in the jar and shaking her head at him.

Seeing this, Aiden accidently took a step forward, "No wait! D-Don't be scared. I won't hurt you. I-I swear!" He assured gently with the best honest smile he could put and still didn't realize what he did until now.

When Elsa saw him take a step towards her, she gasped in horror and she had one thing in her mind. She quickly released the jar from her hands and it came crashing to the ground, sending water and clay parts everywhere, and quickly turned to run back unsteadily to her room.

"Elsa, please wait!" Aiden called urgently but Elsa kept running.

Aiden groaned angrily at himself and slapped his forehead. _I'm definitely dreaming… She would never trust me._

* * *

A few minutes earlier…

Elsa walked happily, staring down at the clay jar that was now full with water. Luckily, she didn't pass anyone and she was able to fill the jar from the kitchen safely. She then lifted her head to concentrate on her way but she stopped right in her tracks. Her eyes widened in horror and she gasped lightly in shock and held her breath. There was a man in front of her. She was all alone and there was a huge man with her! Anna wasn't there so she could hide behind her, nor Rapunzel. The man suddenly lifted his head to stare at her in surprise with his light green eyes that met her terrified cyans. Elsa cursed herself for the gasp she emitted since it drew the man's attention towards her. When the man lifted his head and revealed himself, Elsa recognized him as one of Anna's friends. Aiden was it? But she still didn't feel any less anxious. _What is he going to do to me!?_ She thought in utter worry and fear. He didn't hurt her before but she presumed because she had Anna at her side, but now, she was all alone and vulnerable in front of him. "Elsa?" She heard him say and now she felt even more afraid since he recognized her _and_ acknowledged her. _Please don't hurt me! Please don't hurt me! _The man got off the barrel and Elsa's heart stopped. He then started asking her question that her panicking mind didn't understand any of them. She was staring at him as if she did not even hear him. Elsa had one thing on her mind. _I have to get away! _Her mind wasn't even concentrating on his questions. The man seemed happy and nervous but Elsa didn't care about all that.

In Elsa's mind: She was alone. No protection. Nowhere to hide. A huge man. In front of her. Pain. And that was it! That's all what Elsa was seeing now. She started to back away fearfully. _Get away! Just get away!_ _You can still run from him! Get away! _The man took a step forward and Elsa had it. _No, please!_ She shook her head at him and he looked even more nervous and confused. _I have to get away! He's gonna hurt me! I have to get away!_ She let go of the pot and it came down, crashing. She turned and started running, ignoring the minor pain in her legs and the cries of her name from Aiden. She tried to run as fast as she could back to her room, where Anna would greet her with a smile and protect her from men.

Elsa dashed inside the room and quickly closed the door behind her and backed away from it, panting and breathing fast for air as her heart thrummed inside her chest.

At the loud noise of the door, Anna and Rapunzel woke up quickly. Anna looked around rapidly and saw Elsa's horrified face. "Elsa?!... Elsa, what's wrong?!" She quickly got off the bed and ran to the terrified woman. Rapunzel quickly followed in worry.

Elsa was staring right at the door and probably didn't see Anna and Rapunzel. _He's coming! He'll follow me here! _

Anna furrowed her eyebrows when Elsa didn't turn when she called her. She placed a hand on Elsa shoulder so she could grab her attention but the minute she touched her, Elsa gasped and whipped her body towards Anna and recoiled and jumped away. "Woah, woah! It's me! It's me, Elsa!" Anna assured with a face now full with concern.

Elsa kept breathing fast a bit before she exhaled in relief and relaxed. Anna exchanged worried looks with Rapunzel and then she turned at Elsa, "Elsa, are you okay?! Did anything happen?! And- Oh my! Elsa's y-you're walking!" Anna's concerned voice turned happy by seeing Elsa on her feet without help.

Elsa felt utterly relieved when she saw Anna and Rapunzel. Now the bad men won't hurt her and she could hide behind the women. Hopefully.

"Elsa, what happened? You look as if you were racing a horse!" Rapunzel said, concerned, hearing Elsa's loud panting.

Elsa shook her head as her breath started to relax. She took a deep breath and pointed nervously at the flower, "I-I was just… g-getting some water… for the flower." She managed to say through her breathing.

Anna felt utterly happy that Elsa had the courage to at least get out of the room without them, but her happiness started to turn to concern when she supposed that something wrong must have happened when Elsa went out alone. _Did they do something to her!?_ She thought in horror as she remembered the people that raged at the presence of Elsa in the fort last night. "Oh my god! Are you okay?! Did anyone hurt you!? Did anyone say anything to you!?" Anna showered Elsa with worried questions but at every question Elsa shook her head in denial and Anna turned confused. "Then what happened?"

Elsa averted her eyes, "I-I was walking back here… A-And I saw..." She thought for a moment, then, "A-Aiden?... A-And I had to get away! I was just…"

Hearing Elsa's explanation made them finally understand that she might have met Aiden on her way. Rapunzel and Anna already knew that Aiden would always wake up early. They don't need any further explanation to know that Elsa had freaked out when she saw him.

"Oh Elsa…" Anna said as she smiled sympathetically at the scared woman. She approached her and rested her hand on Elsa's shoulder to calm her. "I know that you're still scared, but Aiden or any man here would never hurt you."

Elsa lowered her head and hid her tears. How could she ever trust a man? She could barely trust women, save for Anna and Rapunzel. She tried, she tried, she tried so hard to at least relax at these men's presence but she couldn't at all. Her mind wouldn't allow her.

Anna exhaled sadly, seeing Elsa tears. She brought a hand on Elsa's chin and lifted the woman's head to look at her and she smiled sadly.

Elsa looked right into Anna's soothing eyes with her ashamed, apologetic and tearful ones. She never wanted to be a disappointment but hearing Anna's tone of voice, she knew Anna was disappointed in her being afraid. She didn't know why, but she somehow knew that Anna wouldn't hit her for her lack of trust and courage.

"Don't cry, Elsa." Anna said gently and felt happy that Elsa didn't flinch at her touch, "We all understand what you'd been through. I wouldn't expect you to trust anyone else just like that but…" She brought her other hand and brushed Elsa's tears away carefully then the platinum bangs off her face, "Can you at least try?"

Elsa's eyes left Anna's for a moment before they returned to look at Anna's smiling face. She smiled back weakly a bit and nodded slowly.

"Alright!" Anna said happily, "That's my Elsa!" She cheered and made Elsa blush lightly.

A knock on the door grabbed the women's attention and Elsa's fearful face was back again. The two thieves exchanged confused looks before Rapunzel made it to the door and opened it to reveal a nervous Aiden, holding a _new_ clay jar of water.

Elsa gasped and quickly hid behind Anna, gritting her teeth fearfully.

Aiden saw Elsa and exhaled in relief, "Oh thank god, you're here! I thought you got lost or something." He said with a smile.

Anna smirked, "Is everything alright, Aiden?" She asked as if she didn't know what had happened.

The man's eyes widened and he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, "I-I… I'm just here to apologize to Elsa… A-And…" He looked down at the jar and then held it up, "Uh… Here's the water for the rose. I-I guessed you didn't want the broken jar anymore so I brought a new one and filled it."

Rapunzel's smirk couldn't go any wider but Aiden ignored it. Anna's face softened. She was about to take the jar from him but she suddenly stopped as an idea popped in her head. She turned to look at Elsa from her shoulder with an evil smile and Aiden had a confused look on his. _Just take it already!_ He thought, bracing himself for what was going on in the evil redhead's mind.

Elsa's face turned confused too as she saw Anna's smirk. _Why is she looking at me like that?_ Elsa thought, and started to worry.

Both Elsa and Aiden's eyes widened in unison when they finally understood what Anna was about to do.

_Oh no… Oh no, no, no, no!_ Elsa thought.

Rapunzel stifled a laugh since she already had an idea about what was going on in Anna's head.

Anna raised one eye brow at Elsa and Elsa quickly and nervously shook her head, pleading for Anna not to make her do what she wanted her to do.

Anna then turned with the same raised eyebrow at Aiden and he too shook his head. _Don't make her do this you crazy woman! _He screamed in his head.

Anna moved away so Elsa could see Aiden and she motioned for Elsa with her hand to go forth and take the jar from Aiden on her own.

Elsa's chest rose as she took a sharp breath and held it in nervously. She fidgeted with her fingers and her head slowly made it to look at Aiden. Her eyes nervously darted at him up and down and he couldn't feel any more awkward. Of course he wanted her to trust him, but he felt actually concerned about what Elsa's reaction would be.

"Come on, Elsaaa." Anna encouraged with a sing-song and tried to stifle a smirk.

Elsa bit her lip and gave Anna a wince, begging her not to make her do this.

Anna made a blank face, using Elsa's technique and pointed at Aiden.

Rapunzel watched in amusement. _Why you sly, sly girl!_ She thought at Anna.

Seeing this, Elsa did recognize what Anna was doing now. The two had another silent conversation before Elsa frowned at the younger woman and silently sighed in defeat.

_Déjà vu._ Rapunzel thought.

Elsa turned to Aiden and she gulped nervously and took one step forward and Aiden held his breath. _Oh god!_ He thought in both joy and worry.

Elsa was using her entire willpower to just move a muscle. She froze in place and her shoulders started to lift up.

Anna noticed Elsa's old habit of shoulder lifting and she decided to give her a shove of encouragement. She placed a hand on Elsa's back and gave her a gentle push forward.

Elsa wanted so badly to run back to Anna and hide right behind the girl and never move again, but she knew that Anna wasn't going to leave her alone before she could take the jar from that huge, _dangerous_ buffalo. Her shoulders slowly started to lift again-without even her knowing- as she made her way to the man. _Please… Just don't hurt me._ She thought, worried.

Anna noticed Elsa's nervousness again and she knew what she was thinking of and she shook her head, "Elsa… Aiden won't hurt you. Right, Aiden?" Anna said with a remorseful smile.

Aiden quickly shook his head, "I would never!" He admitted.

When Elsa was a meter away from the man, she couldn't feel any more afraid. She tried her best not to tremble and luckily she succeeded. She then bit her lip hard and lifted her shaky hands slowly to grab the jar. Her eyes went from the jar to Aiden, making sure he wasn't going to lunge at her and hurt her at any second.

Aiden gave her a goofy smile and Rapunzel couldn't hold back the tiny giggle at the look on his face_. I am so going to get you girls when I'm done with this!_ Aiden thought and vowed for revenge to Anna and Rapunzel.

Elsa's fingers touched the jar but she quickly recoiled her hands back to her chest and shook her head quickly, "I-I can't." She said to everyone.

Anna felt the room started to go cold but she shook her head, "Oh no you won't!" Anna said and approached Elsa a bit so she could encourage her, "Making the room cold won't save you from that task, Missy!" Anna scolded playfully.

Elsa mentally glared at Anna. As if she could even control her powers to stop that? Of course not! She was only scared and nervous.

"Come on, Elsa… It's just a jar. It won't bite." Anna teased with a smirk.

_But he would._ Elsa thought back as she stared cautiously at Aiden. She took a deep, shaky breath then lifted her hands again.

When they arrived, she quickly snatched the jar from Aiden's hands and the very tip of her gloved fingers touched Aiden's big hands and the poor guy felt his heart fluster.

Elsa took the jar and quickly backed away… More like jumped back and- "Ah!" Anna yelped as Elsa bumped into her and sent them both to the ground, sending water all over them.

Rapunzel couldn't take much anymore. She started to laugh loudly at the sisters, "O-O-Okay!... Y-You two really know how to make me laugh!"

Elsa fell on top of Anna and blew the air out of her sister's lungs as her elbow made it right into Anna's stomach and the water from the jar soaked both girls.

As they felt dizzy from the sudden impact, Elsa shook her dizziness away and removed her wet bangs that blinded her, off her face. Her eyes widened when she felt something underneath her. She gasped aloud and quickly moved off of Anna and sat right next to the girl, "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! Are you okay?!" She asked in concern and Anna replied with a moan of pain. Without thinking, Elsa helped Anna up to a sitting position… Using her HANDS! Midway up, Elsa realized what she was doing and she quickly let go and made Anna fall back dizzily with a thud. "OOF!" Anna muttered when she contacted the puddle on the floor and this time she grunted.

Elsa gasped again, "Oh God!... A-Anna? I'm sorry! M-My hands!" She showed Anna her gloved hands to show her point, "T-They are dangerous! I Just… I can't-"

Anna suddenly, still lying on the ground, started to laugh.

Elsa stopped her rambling and forgot that she and Anna were soaking wet. She stared dumbfounded at the redhead that laughed like a drunk person. Elsa started to fear the worst. She supposed that Anna might have hit her head hard and lost her mind.

Anna then pushed herself up on her elbows and gave Elsa a wide smile in which Elsa returned with an unsure one. "Well," Anna said and rubbed her forehead, "At least that's a start." She said and Elsa understood that the woman was talking about Aiden and the jar. "Maybe next time you'll do it without sending us to the ground or showering us with water." She deadpanned.

"Are you okay?" Elsa asked again and she tilted her head up and inspected Anna's head from any injuries.

Anna waved a hand at her, "Don't worry, I'm fine. It looks like I'll keep being covered in things with you though. First broccoli, now water!" Anna joked as she laughed and made Elsa feel embarrassed. "Besides, you're soaking wet too!" Anna said, pointing at Elsa's wet hair and continued to laugh harder.

Elsa's irises looked up as if she was seeing her hair. She brought a hand to touch her hair and felt the water through her already wet gloves. "Water is for flowers." Elsa mumbled to herself then looked at Anna, "That makes us flowers, right?" Elsa said with a wide, innocent smile.

Anna suddenly gasped. _Did Elsa just… complimented us? _She then got up and helped Elsa up on feet. She smiled fondly at Elsa, "A beautiful, sweet flower." Anna said softly and complimented back as she looked right into Elsa's eyes.

Aiden stared in disbelieve at Elsa as he smiled warmly at her. _She's just so… Nice!_ _How could someone so innocent and pure be locked away?! Why was she locked away?! Why!? Why?! Why?! _He wondered how eminent and great she would have turned out if she was allowed to live her life normally as a child. She wouldn't have been afraid. She would have been brave and strong. Not that she already wasn't. Elsa was able to survive what she been through and still kept her hope on having a normal life. In some way, he admired and respected her courage. Although she mostly showed she was utterly terrified of things, he did not mean that kind of courage. Having hope and keep carrying on with her life, despite the huge amount of horrible things that accompanied her through it, was the greatest courage that Aiden have ever seen. Any other person would have strangled himself with his chains if he was in Elsa's place. And for a Princess like Elsa, he would have done more than just to bow in respect for the royal. _Chapeau bas_ more likely. He felt a tingle in his hand where Elsa's finger had touched him, and his other hand was brought distractingly to brush the spot.

As the two sisters giggled with each other, Rapunzel stared at Aiden and shook her head in amusement at the poor man who was definitely lost in thoughts. _Damn!… You got it BAD, Oafy! You… Got it… Bad!_ Rapunzel thought and she let out a giggle, snapping Aiden back to attention.

Aiden looked over at her in confusion, "What?" He asked innocently.

Rapunzel had a mischievous smile and she pointed with her eyes towards Elsa.

Aiden's eyebrows lifted in surprise, "I got it bad don't I?" He asked with a worried look, making sure none of Elsa or Anna heard.

Rapunzel nodded excitedly in confirmation.

"T-There's still a lot of time." He whispered to Rapunzel, "It might never even happen."

Rapunzel frowned at his lazy optimism and she whispered back, "Learn to have hope and courage like Elsa then." She said, making him stare at her with a mouth slightly open. She then gave him one last smirk before she moved towards the other two women.

_But I don't care about that. As long as she's happy, I'm great and that's enough for me._ He thought, satisfied when he looked towards Elsa, Anna and Rapunzel to see his favorite girls smiling and laughing.

"I- Uh… Sorry to interrupt you girls." He started sheepishly, "I'll just go now and bring you some towels and call for Ferga to clean the water up." He looked towards Elsa and smiled warmly, "Again… I'm… I'm really sorry Elsa for scaring you like that. I didn't mean it. I-I'll just go now and bring another jar. Third time's a charm, right?" And with that he gave them a friendly wave and turned to leave.

Anna frowned in confusion at Aiden's slightly sad behavior. _What's wrong with him?_

Rapunzel mentally shook her head at him sadly. _Children… They never learn._

"Thank you."

Aiden's eyes shot wide when he recognized the voice. It wasn't Anna's… It wasn't Rapunzel… Then it only meant one thing. He quickly turned to see Elsa standing nervously behind Anna, but he knew that it was hers. His face lit up in the most joyful manner and he smiled widely at her, "Y-Your welcome!" He said happily. "I-It was just a jar and all… A-All what I had to do was to fill it with water, not like it's a hard task or anything- _annnnd_ I should stop. I-I better go now! Uh… Bye!" He said and blushed hardly in embarrassment before he practically stumbled out of the room, feeling his heart would burst out at any second. It was a simple, modest 'Thank you.' But who cares?! Elsa talked to him! Not that it was a talk, since they were only two words but still… WHO CARES!? He was in utter joy.

As he ran outside, on his way to nowhere in particular, he grabbed a nearby member of the guild, bear-hugged him and lifted him off the floor, "SHE THANKED MEEE!" He said joyfully and didn't care about the weird and confused looks the man was giving him as if he was looking at a maniac. He placed the dude back on the ground and continued running, "YEAAAAHH!"

Anna's head slowly turned to Rapunzel, "Now that was weird." Anna said, hearing Aiden's joyful shouts.

"Don't mind it. He's just a crazy man." Rapunzel assured and waved her hand, dismissingly.

Anna then shrugged her shoulders to herself and turned to Elsa, "I'm so proud of you." She said with a warm smile.

Elsa heard the man and could only think of one thing: _Definitely_ _Coocoos…_ Elsa's eyes turned from the door to meet Anna's. She smiled back and felt a wave of pride and happiness overwhelm her.

"You. Are. One. Brave. Woman." Anna said and tapped Elsa's nose and made her giggle lightly.

Elsa still had good manners of course and a simple thank you wouldn't hurt. Even though she used her entire might to just pronounce those words to the _man_. But after hearing his sad tone of voice, she just couldn't allow anyone to be sad because of her, even if she wasn't sure at all if the man had good or bad intentions. She had a pure heart, anyway.

Anna looked down at her clothes and then at Elsa's, "We should probably change." She noted, "Ferga will come after a few minutes and clean that up and she'll be bringing us the towels." She said, pointing at the puddle and the shards of clay on the ground.

"Yup! You two should change. I think the boys we'll be waiting for us at the stables." Rapunzel informed and reminded.

_The stables?_ Elsa thought, wondering why the hell they were going to the stables.

"We'll have breakfast first." Anna suggested and turned to Elsa, "You still have to eat to put some meat on those bones." She joked with a playful smile. Only then did Anna notice that Elsa stood much straighter than when she was using the stick and she realized that Elsa was a bit taller than both her and Rapunzel.

She hoped that Elsa stood straighter because the _heavy_, bad memories and thoughts were finally starting to lift off of the poor princess's shoulder and not just because she stopped using the stick. But wasn't the relief of the stick a sign that Elsa was finally starting to recover?

Well… She can only hope.

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**REVIEW! Please! :3**

**All i can say is... Poor Poor Aiden. *shake head* Can you imagine how LONG will it take for Elsa to fall in love with someone? Haha! That if it ever happens. Hopefully, Aiden would be able to become her friend at least. :) Who knows.**


	30. Sister's Empathy

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXVIII: Sister's Empathy

After they dried themselves up and changed their clothes, with the three of the women this time in dresses, since Anna and Rapunzel didn't need the armor for now. As for the gloves, even when they were soaking wet, Elsa refused what so ever to remove them. They then had to call for a healer to the room for Elsa. It was a bit hard for them to change Elsa's soaked bandages since the woman wouldn't stay still at all with the new female healer. At the end, the healer got frustrated and left, so Anna had to be the one to change Elsa's bandages, and Elsa gladly accepted and then calmed down.

"What a bitch." Rapunzel muttered when the healer left since the woman didn't have any empathy for Elsa and didn't have patience for the frightened princess, and the quick peeks of fear from the woman towards Elsa didn't go unnoticed by Anna.

"Tell me about it." Anna whispered back while both were watching Elsa water the rose happily. Anna suddenly felt heartbroken but she kept her smile. She was heartbroken because she saw Elsa's eyes. Because no one in this stupid fort could see the way those eyes lit up and sparkled when Elsa smiled and felt happy. _How can people be so ignorant? _She thought angrily at them. She could feel the fire inside of Elsa that couldn't help but to shine bright, and she knew that everyone would never see her pure light no matter what Elsa did. Unfortunately, Elsa's first impression was _accidently_ shown horribly, and now most of them feared her. If they could only see right through Elsa's weird yet gorgeous appearance and just feel Elsa's pure heart. Was she giving Elsa too much trust? Was Elsa really dangerous like everybody was saying? _Look at that face! How could she ever be dangerous?! _Anna thought confusingly. The people were scared for their lives and their children' as if Elsa was a huge monster, roaming free and ready to kill anyone. She then looked at Elsa's joyful eyes. _I promise you, Elsa… I will never believe it. You can count on me. _Anna vowed and suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder that brought her back from her thoughts. She turned her head to see Rapunzel with a worried face.

"Are you okay, Anna?" Rapunzel whispered with a voice now full with real concern.

Anna faked a smile and quickly nodded, "O-Of course! Why would you say that? I'm fine." She said and tried to widen her smile as much as she could.

Rapunzel look at Anna's face, "You're crying." She noted and it was only then did Anna felt her wet cheeks.

Anna's eyes widened and she quickly wiped away her tears, "I-I am? Hah… I d-didn't notice." Anna said nervously and turned her head to hide her tears. "I-I was just lost in thoughts, is all." When she was sure her tears were gone, she turned back to the worried Rapunzel, "I'm fine, really." She said with something close to a smile.

Hearing Anna's tone of voice, Rapunzel understood that the redhead didn't wanted to talk about it. _Oh Anna… _

Before Rapunzel could say anything, Anna quickly turned back to Elsa, "Elsa?" She called.

Elsa turned, smiled widely and pointed at the healthy rose, "Good?!" She asked happily. Elsa had already asked about Zoey's flower and Anna nervously had to say that the flower had died because of an insect pest, in which even though Elsa probably hadn't understood much, she had been heartbroken.

Anna chuckled a bit, "I think that's enough water." Anna informed as she saw how the pot was flooded with water, "You do love flowers, don't you?" She asked and Elsa quickly nodded excitedly.

Elsa's face suddenly fell and Anna cursed herself when she saw it. She knew that Elsa noticed her sadness. "Anna?" Elsa called in concern. She placed the water jug on the table and approached Anna.

Anna took a deep breath, "Hm?" Anna hummed back in reply as if nothing was bothering her but Elsa wasn't convinced at all.

_Let's see how you're going to get away with this. _Rapunzel thought to Anna and was grateful that Elsa noticed her sister's distress.

Elsa clearly saw that Anna was faking a smile and she furrowed her eyes brows in utter worry now. "What's wrong?" Elsa asked as she tilted her head a bit to the side to look into Anna's blue-grey eyes.

Anna avoided eye contact and shrugged, "Nothing!" She said with a fake happy voice, then looked up to stare at Elsa. _They are cruel, Elsa… Why is everyone so cruel to you?! Look at you! You're concerned for me and you want to comfort me! What danger could ever come from you?!_ Her mind suddenly started to realize and remember things. _How much did you suffer just to have this bit of happiness!? How much were you hurt and beaten when you were only a little girl?! Why were you born to a horrible father when you deserve the best people ever?! _Anna thought and didn't sense that she was spilling heavy tears as she stared into those eyes that she could see the hurt and misery they were filled with.

Elsa silently gasped as her eyes widened on seeing Anna's tears. Her face couldn't go any more worried. The first thing she did was to make sure to look at her murderous hands to check if they somehow might have hurt Anna, but there was no sign of ice. She then turned her head to look at Rapunzel for answers, but Rapunzel shrugged with the same worried face as Elsa's. Elsa then turned back at Anna and could already see how Anna was staring right at her but as if she was looking beyond her, definitely lost in thoughts somewhere. Elsa couldn't take the sight in front of her. Anna was really silently crying! Elsa bit her lip, "A-Anna?!" She called again and her voice quivered in desperation.

_Whatever you'll see don't let her feel different from the rest! _Anna remembered Kai's bone-shilling words back in the dungeons: _We heard her scream and plead! He was hitting her no doubt! Throwing her around! It looked like she was locked inside with a ferocious animal! _Anna just couldn't even imagine the way Elsa was mistreated. She remembered how horribly Elsa's body looked like when they got her out of Hell. How scared she was when she had woken up the first time. How she didn't know any food other than Meat and Water. How the simplest things could make her happy. How she cried in joy at the sunset. How she couldn't smile any wider when Bulda gave her the rose. How her legs were awfully weakened to a point where she couldn't walk or stand at all on her own. How extremely terrified she was of people and especially Men and how she couldn't trust someone like a normal person. How she screamed at night because of the nightmares. How she trembled in her sleep. Anna couldn't hold on much longer. As her eyes hovered over Elsa's battered face and her heart thrummed faster, she placed a hand on her mouth and muffled a sob and still didn't notice Elsa's worried and shocked face. _Oh my god, Elsa, look at you!? Why did he do all this to you?! _She tried to imagine a six year old Elsa being beaten and that made things much worse, thus tears were now running non-stop. Then, she was suddenly brought back from her thought when she was enveloped with something. She could feel the cold, _trembling_, pressure on her entire body. She could feel the unstable stiffness. When she realized what was happening she wanted to cry even more. With shaking hands, she brought them up and _hugged_ _Elsa_ _back_ and sobbed and spilled her tears in her sister's neck.

Elsa watched in shock as Anna still didn't somehow acknowledge her. Anna was looking at her with wide eyes and Elsa didn't know what was happening inside her unknowingly sister's head. She watched Anna's tears in disbelief and started to panic when she didn't know what to do._ Why are you crying?! Stop crying! Please! _"A-Anna?!" She called but Anna didn't respond. She only kept staring and spilling silent tears. Elsa started looking between Rapunzel and Anna as if she was asking for help from the blonde but it looked like that Rapunzel was concerned and confused just as she was. Elsa's heart thrummed faster in her chest. When Anna let out a sob and covered her mouth, Elsa had enough. Trembling, she quickly wrapped Anna in the stiffest hug ever made, making sure that her hands wouldn't touch Anna at all. _What are you doing!? You are going to kill her! Move away! She'll die in your monstrous, murderous hands!_ Elsa winced, squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth when she felt Anna's arms wrap around her back. _Murderer! Murderer! Murderer! She'll die! She'll die! She'll die!_ _WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?_ Elsa would have dug her nails in Anna's back but the more she was being tormented by her mind, the more she squeezed Anna tighter and refused to let go. _Don't let go! She's crying! Don't let go!... But you're dangerous! You'll kill her! She'll freeze!... NO! _

Rapunzel watched in both fear and amazement. She felt fear and worry when she noticed how Elsa was having a mental conflict with herself and how her hands were trembling terribly._ Oh my god, Elsa!… You don't have to do this! _She thought, both proud and sympathetic for the princess's kindness and selflessness on trying with all her might to cast away her fears just to comfort and hug Anna. Rapunzel placed a hand on her mouth and avoided a gasp as she watched awestruck and witnessed how Elsa wrapped her little sister in a comforting hug.

Elsa couldn't take it anymore. She wanted to let go and run back into Arendelle, lock herself up and never come out again. She can't hurt anyone if she was locked away. Everyone would be safe from her. Anna would be safe from her! Then suddenly, she heard it. "I'm sorry that he hurt you Elsa!" Anna muffled as she buried her face in the pale neck. Time seemed to stop as Elsa's eyes widened. She felt the wetness on her shoulder… Anna's tears, and the only thing she was hearing was Anna's sobs and the beating of her heart.

* * *

**Elsa's flashback**

Five year old Elsa huddled herself in the corner, behind a big vase and cried. Her right hand was on her red, scorching and stinging cheek where her father have hit her minutes ago. "Elsaaa!... Elsa, please come out!" She could already hear her mother's desperate cries but she didn't want to come out. She was too scared and traumatized. Her father have hit her when he entered the room to find her playing in the snow she created with Anna and now she was in pain. "I told you never to use your curse!" The king had yelled before he slapped her. It was on Anna's request that she used her magic. She just wanted to make her sister happy. She didn't know why her father hated her magic so much. Her mother always loved it. Then why not her father?

She squeezed herself more to the corner as she tried to rub the pain on her cheek away but to no avail. _It hurts… _She thought and cried more. "Elsa?" She suddenly heard her baby sister's whisper. She quickly turned her head to see Anna's concerned and sad face. "A-Anna?" Elsa said in surprise and quickly tried to wipe away her tears but the stinging kept coming and forced new tears to form. "H-How did you… F-Find me?"

"I… I followed you when you ran out of the room." Anna clarified and peeked from behind the large vase to make sure her father wasn't here. She then turned back to the crying Elsa and huddled herself next to her big sister, "Does… Does it hurt?" Three year old Anna asked, feeling guilty and ashamed.

Elsa wiped more tears and tried to hide her face as much as she could away from her sister. She didn't wanted her to see her crying like this. "N-No…" She said bravely and squeezed her hand tighter on her burning cheek and didn't dare use her powers to sooth the pain at all. She knew that Anna would feel guilty and she didn't want that. The pain was aggravating for Elsa's small and soft cheek. Her father's big hand was the size of her entire face, and it came crashing with her cheek mercilessly.

Anna bit her lip, "C-Can I see?" She asked in concern, wanting to check on her sister.

Elsa shook her head. She already knew that her cheek was bright red and she didn't want her sister to see her in such condition. "I-I'm okay, Anna." She said and quickly wiped the new tears.

Anna didn't listen. She slowly brought her tiny hands to remove her sister's cold hand off her cheek. Elsa knew it was inevitable and she knew that Anna wouldn't leave her alone before she did what she wanted. When Elsa allowed Anna to remove her hand, Anna gasped aloud and felt her tears form. Elsa's small cheek had a hideous bruise and a small split that had a tiny amount of blood escaping it. Anna lunged herself at her big sister and wrapped her hands around her and started crying, "Oh Elsa! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I made you make the s-snow for me! I'm so sorry! I didn't know Papa would d-do that… to you!" She sobbed and buried her head in her sister's neck.

Elsa wrapped her arms around her sister and squeezed her tighter. "No, Anna… It's not your fault! Don't think like that!... I-I was the one who used Magic." Elsa felt Anna's tears soak her shoulder.

"But none of it w-would have happened if I didn't make you do it! A-And-… A-And your cheek would have been okay!" She let out a loud sorrowful and apologetic sob, "I'm sorry that he hurt you, Elsa! I'm-… I'm-" Anna couldn't take the guilt anymore. She buried her head in her sister's neck and sobbed.

Elsa squeezed Anna tighter, "Don't worry, Anna…" She said and tried to be strong and brave for her sister by trying to forget the pain. She was the big sister and her mother told her that a big sister should always comfort her younger siblings and that she should be strong for them.

"I'm scared, Elsa! What if he hurt you again?! What if he hurt you again and because of me?! What if he hurt me?!" Anna muffled and wailed even more.

Elsa turned determined and rested her well cheek on Anna's head. "I'm okay now… You're okay now. I promise I won't let you go."

* * *

Something new. That's what Elsa was feeling right now. Something she never felt before or forgot that she did. The feeling that someone really needed her. Needed her hug. Needed her comfort. Her sisterly instincts wanted to ease her little sister cries. To do their best to make sure that Anna was happy. To show her that there was someone there for her if no one wasn't. Elsa's trembling stopped and she felt… Calm. Determined. Her face made a smile and she squeezed Anna in a proper, warm hug, "I'm okay now. You're okay now. I'm promise I won't let you go." Elsa said with a gentle voice of a big sister that she barely ever used.

At this, Anna squeezed her tighter and buried her head in Elsa's neck and kept crying. She didn't know why she was so sorrowful but her subconscious knew that this was all a reaction because she knows of all those horrible things that happened to her-unknowingly-own _sister_. And the more Elsa was nice and sweet the more Anna felt horrible. _Why do people fear you?!_ _You're here with me! Trying to make me feel better! How could someone selfless be scared of!?_

Elsa rested her cheek on Anna's head and rubbed Anna's back by using her well arm. She could never forget how she used to do that to her baby sister when she needed her. The hug was no longer just to comfort Anna, but it was a hug that she really wanted to give Anna. The two sisters were enjoying their embrace and forgot that there was a third presence in the room.

Rapunzel wanted to squeal in delight. The sight was so heartwarming and heartbreaking; heartwarming because she just saw Elsa act for the first time like a real big sister and the sisters were finally hugging each other, but heartbreaking because they both don't even know they're sisters.

Elsa's eyes slowly made it to Rapunzel as if she was asking her if she was doing okay by calming Anna down. Rapunzel smiled proudly back in confirmation and placed a hand on her heart to show her point, and Elsa smiled shyly back.

Elsa did not believe that she was actually hugging someone.

After a few minutes, Anna calmed down. The first thing that went in her mind was that Elsa was hugging her! She broke the hug and looked right into Elsa's soothing and warm eyes in shock. The eyes that lit up when their owner smiled. She couldn't believe her own eyes. Elsa was the one who hugged her. She didn't lunge herself at the princess like before. No; It. Was. Elsa. She didn't believe her ears either. _I promise I'll never let you go._ She remembered Elsa's comforting words. She wanted to say anything and break this awkward silence but she really had no words. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

"A beautiful, sweet flower." Elsa suddenly said with a wide fond smile, remembering what Anna told her when they were soaked with water.

The only thing Anna was able to do was to smile excitedly and feel her heart flutter. "A beautiful, sweet and pure flower." Anna repeated and added fondly.

Rapunzel wanted to cry now.

They both hugged each other again, this time without any first stiffness, winces or mind torments for Elsa, nor tears, cries and sobs for Anna. The hug was simply sublime. Anna was pretty surprise at Elsa's body temperature. She wasn't cold anymore. Surprisingly, she was warm. _What would I ever do without you? _Anna thought and literally felt her fond to Elsa grow with every single passing second, and so did her worry for Elsa safety. She didn't even want to imagine what would happen if someone hurt Elsa.

Elsa couldn't believe that she finally found someone she could trust. Someone who would always make her happy and whom she would always try to make happy. After all these years, she finally had to take care of someone. A person to protect her from any harm and keep her safe. Elsa had one last concern. While hugging the redhead, she furrowed her eyebrows and looked at her hands. Now she had a new fear. Fear that she might end Anna's life just like she did to her mother and sister. The only two people that loved her were killed by her own hands. Now, Anna here was dear to her and she was terrified of the idea of living without the redhead that reminded her of her sister and bore the same name._ You're why I smile… _Her face turned serious and determined. _And it's been a while…_ She hugged Anna protectively tighter. _What would I ever do without you?_

* * *

**A Song: Anna to Elsa**

**Keep Holding On - Avril Lavigne**

**Sisterly fluff or what?! Haha**

**Review :)**

**Poor Anna :/ She's really feeling for her sister. And poor little Elsa... **

**Honestly, i cried a bit while writing this cause i was really feeling with Anna when she was remembering how Elsa suffered.**

**I had a great night on Monday! I went to the Imagine Dragons concert :D Hahah. Also… yesterday I watched the Germany/Brasil world cup thingy and well…. GO GERMANY! :D 3**

**As for Brasil… I have no idea what happened to you guys. But my sympathies. :/ They deserved better.**

**Okay… Back to the story. I hope you liked this chapter. Tell me what you think of Anna and Elsa's relationship. :)**


	31. A Reindeer's Friendship

**FANFIC TRAILEEERR! Hahaha here's the link from youtube:**

**watch?v=ZdfDlTaDb-k**

**Guys, this story is rated M for violence and torture only. Nothing more, if you know what I mean. I love innocent love and fluff :3 haha. Not smutty love :P**

**And besides, do you think I should keep it at T ?**

**To me, I don't see any M stuff. Chapter Nightmares was a nightmare, yes. But nothing happened.**

**Somehow, this story is innocent but full with horrific scenes…. How do I manage to put these things together? I HAVE NO IDEA!**

**Blame the crazy mind of mine.**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXVIV: A Reindeer's Friendship

As the three women sat on the table, each eating there preferable meal, Elsa's head went from right to left each time Anna and Rapunzel argued about who would teach Elsa to cook with Louis.

"I'm responsible on Elsa's food!" Rapunzel insisted while raising her hand in the air.

"But what will I do then?" Anna whined with a pout.

"Beats me. Find your own lessons. I take cooking." Rapunzel said with a shrug and took a bite of calamari.

Anna frowned, "If you took the cooking, Kristoff took the riding and animal friendship thingy, Flynn took the combat, Aiden decided Fishing, then… Can't I just teach her how to waltz?" Anna desperately asked.

Rapunzel gave her a serious look, "Really, Anna?... Dancing?... You don't even know how to dance yourself!" Rapunzel mocked, "Poor Brandon couldn't walk for four days when he tried to teach you how to waltz."

Anna glared at her and threw a broccoli at her in which Rapunzel couldn't help but laugh.

Elsa watched them, mostly not understanding what they were talking about, but she knew they were talking about herself. She was really anxious that she was going to spend more time with these men. She could only hope that things would turn good.

"Then how about… Planting?" Anna suggested.

"Bulda already took that." Rapunzel said as she munched on a piece of calamari again and Elsa smiled at the thought of spending time with Bulda.

"What?! Since when?!" Anna asked frustrated.

"She sent Zoey yesterday evening to tell me."

Anna's shoulders slumped. "Hmmm…" She tried to think of something else as she scratched her head with a fork that still had the broccoli on it. "How about…" She swayed her fork of broccoli, "Pottery?"

"That's for Brandon." Rapunzel said casually as she ate.

Anna was now desperate, "Hide and seek?! Tag!?"

"Zoey and the other kids called that out."

"Knitting?!"

"Waela."

"Origami?!"

"Also Zoey."

"Chess!?"

"Some woman… Denise maybe?"

"SERIOUSLY!? Since when everyone became so creative?! And when did they ever say that they'll do all that?!" Anna asked in frustration since she still couldn't find anything to teach Elsa.

"You and Elsa were having dinner when everyone who wanted to help decided to tell us and joined."

Anna stared blankly at Rapunzel in silence for a moment and the blonde in front of her was still eating calmly, then, "You have got to be kidding me." Anna said and slammed her forehead on the table.

Elsa didn't know what to say. What was chess? What was Knitting? What was Pottery?! And what the hell was Origami?! She was really worried now. She was going to be with a lot of strangers. Could she be able to handle them all?

Anna's head suddenly snapped up with a joyful gasp. She slammed her fist on the table and made both Rapunzel and Elsa jump in their seat. "ICE SKATING!" Anna shouted excitedly.

At that Elsa's ears perked up and her face lit up. Rapunzel slapped her mouth with both hands and tried desperately not to laugh.

Anna saw Elsa's joyful and excited face, "You like that, don't you?!" Anna asked playfully. _Well, obviously! She is The Ice Princess after all._

Rapunzel let out a laugh.

Anna glared at her, "What's so funny?!"

Rapunzel wiped away an imaginary tear, "Oh god!... Y-You?!... Ice skating?!" She barked out another laugh and nearly fell backwards. "You're the Queen of Clumsiness! You don't know how to ice-skate!... Oh! O-Oh my!" Rapunzel couldn't take it anymore, she was really laughing and tears ran down her cheeks as she clutched her aching stomach. Anna gave her a death glare and started throwing broccolis at her but Rapunzel ignored all the vegetables and continued, "I-Ice skating needs… Grace and Poise!" She laughed again, "And we both know you lack both of those! Besides…" She slowly tried to calm herself down, "We'll have to wait till winter, or we have to go near the east mountain and we both know that it will take us two days to go there."

Anna raised a finger to protest and opened her mouth but when she thought about it and realized that Rapunzel had a point, she frowned and lowered her finger. "Okay, fine. You win this time."

Rapunzel shook her head, "Anna I don't mind if you wanna teach Elsa how to ice-skate but I just don't want her to end up decapitated." Rapunzel deadpanned as she giggled, "She's still needs some rest and she can't make it all the way to the mountains. Plus, her arm is still broken and I already told Flynn that his turn will come last. We'll start easy with cooking and playing with Zoey and all that, then we'll see this thing about bows and swords."

"But what am I supposed to do?!" Anna whined and made a pout but Rapunzel shrugged her shoulders.

Anna felt hopeless with this woman, so she decided to turn to Elsa, but Elsa shrugged her shoulders too. Anna then sighed and let her head fall to the table again.

A knock on the door grabbed the three women's attention. The door opened and revealed a skinny young man, Olly. "Uhm, Anna? Rapunzel?... I- uh…" He looked at Elsa cautiously, yet couldn't deny her beauty, "Uh…" He lost himself in a trance.

Rapunzel stifled a laugh as the boy nearly drooled. Anna raised an eyebrow at the young man, "Yoohoo! Earth to Olly! Do you copy?!"

Olly snapped out from his daze and smiled shyly, "U-Uhm… I have a letters for you."

Rapunzel got off her chair and went forward to take the letters. "Thank you, Olly." She said gratefully with a smile. Olly nodded happily then quickly turned and left.

Rapunzel went to the table and gave each of them randomly a letter, "We'll just read them together to see what these lunatics want." Rapunzel said and plumped herself in the chair and opened the letter in her hand as Anna did the same and Elsa nervously and awkwardly opened hers.

_They want me to read this?!_ Elsa thought as she gulped nervously.

"Oh it's Bulda!" Rapunzel exclaimed happily, "She said that she'll start with Elsa next week."

"And this one from Denise!" Anna informed, "Oh! She wants to teach Elsa to play the lute too!" Anna let out a laugh. "Aww! I always wanted to play that!"

Elsa opened her letter and unfolded it. Her eyes darted around the writing randomly. She bit her lip as she stared at the piece of paper in her hands. This was going to be totally embarrassing for her.

Anna and Rapunzel turned to look at Elsa, "So what does it say?" Anna asked with a smile.

Elsa's eyes looked at Anna, then back at the paper, then back at Anna, to Rapunzel then back at the paper. Her eyes darted again on the writing and she gulped again, "U-Uh…"

"What? What's wrong?" Anna asked a tiny bit worried and confused.

Elsa then turned a bit red and she winced a bit at the paper.

Anna and Rapunzel's eyes grew HUGE in realization, "OH MY GOD! I FORGOT! How could I be so stupid?!" Anna exclaimed as she nearly jumped then slapped her forehead, "Elsa!... You can't READ!"

Elsa's cheeks were bright red now. She looked at the paper and all what she saw were Writings that, for her, were more like random drawings and lines.

"And you can't write!?" Rapunzel followed with a stupid question.

_Of course she can't write if she can't read you stupid blondy woman! _Anna thought as she mentally facepalmed at Rapunzel's silly question.

Elsa shook her head in denial and she felt utterly embarrassed. It wasn't her fault she was banned of doing all that. She haven't seen a quill and paper in years. And she was pretty sure that she had other things to concentrate on back in her cellar.

"How did we forget about all that?!" Anna said to Rapunzel. Elsa was locked away since she was nothing but a child and Anna couldn't believe how this really haven't passed her mind. _Of course she doesn't know how to read or write!_ Anna gasped again as she realized how much Elsa lack of learning. _Oh my god! She doesn't know anything! _Anna then realized that Elsa lacked the most important thing: Knowledge and Education.

Anna and Rapunzel suddenly gasped in unison- and Elsa swore these Coocoos were doing a gasping contest- and turned to look at each other, "**I call that!**" They both said as they raised their hands.

"No way!" Anna said and poked the blonde's shoulder, "You got the cooking! I call teaching and tutoring Elsa!" She said and puffed her chest in dominance.

Rapunzel sighed, "Okay… You're probably right." She thought for a moment then she pointed at Anna's face, "But you have to let your mum help. You're not smart enough. She is. And we all know she is the smartest one in the fort… _And_ the most knowledgeable and educated." _Daaaa! She is a Queen! It's the least she could do._

"Got it!" Anna said and high-fived Rapunzel.

"You'll start first thing tomorrow. We promised Kristoff that it's his turn today." Rapunzel said and suddenly smirked at Anna, "Damn! Your boyfriend is really eager to introduce Sven to Elsa!" She said dramatically.

Anna gasped aloud and Elsa had her confirmation that they were really having a gasping competition. "He's not my boyfriend!" Anna shouted in shock and turned bright red.

Rapunzel wiggled her eyebrows, "I'll tell you just like I told someone dear to me…" She said as she placed a hand on her heart and closed her eyes dramatically, then, she opened them again, "First thing is Deniaaalll!" Rapunzel sing-songed and waved jazz hands.

"A-And who said you're a love expert?" Anna shouted back and turned redder.

Rapunzel gave her a 'Seriously, Anna? Don't deny it.' smirk. She turned at Elsa, "See, Elsa?" Rapunzel said as she pointed at Anna's face, "That's what a tomato looks like."

Elsa turned to look at Anna's face with her confused one. She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow in wonder, "Red?" She asked.

Rapunzel laughed, "Exactly!" And Anna sent her a death glare.

Elsa then turned amazed, "How do you do that?" She suddenly asked Anna.

Anna turned at her, confused too, "Do what?"

"That!" Elsa said happily in awe while pointing at Anna's red face.

"Just say 'Kristoff', Elsa and she'll turn red like a chameleon." Rapunzel joked and laughed harder.

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Anna said and buried her crimson face in her hands and felt utterly embarrassed.

Elsa suddenly smirked as she remembered something. Rapunzel had her own _Kristoff_, right? "How about Flynn?" She asked Rapunzel and gave Anna an evil smile.

Anna recognize what Elsa was trying to do. _Aww! She's helping me out!_

Rapunzel's eyes widened, "F-Flynn?!... What about him? Yeah of course. I l-love him." She said and turned red too.

Elsa suddenly started to laugh lightheartedly at Rapunzel, and Anna couldn't get any happier, while Rapunzel forgot about her embarrassment when she heard Elsa's carefree laughter.

"HA!" Anna said as she pointed at Rapunzel's red face. "Wayta go Elsa!" Anna said as she playfully saluted her with a military gesture.

Elsa smiled back when she stopped her laughs.

_I wonder what makes Elsa red..._ Anna thought.

Rapunzel shook her head at the two sister and chuckled, "Alright, you two… We should probably head to the stables. The boys are waiting for us."

The three women stood off the table and Elsa's excitement that she was walking alone didn't drain just yet.

As they made their way out of the room. The three of them forgot about the third letter that none did read, and didn't notice that it was from Tyler.

* * *

When they entered the stables, the first thing that Elsa saw was a weird looking horse with wooden sticks on his head… A reindeer. But Elsa never saw something like it before. She was really fascinated by this creature. She already knew what horses were, but she felt more pulled to this beast since it was different from any horse, just like she was different from every human being.

"Hey guys!" Kristoff greeted delightfully when he turned to see them. He was feeding Sven his daily morning carrots while patting the reindeer's head. He would have ate the carrot after the reindeer but he knew that it wasn't appropriate and especially in front of Anna… Even though the girl won Flynn in a burp contest.

"Hey boys! We're here for Elsa's lessons!" Anna said excitedly as she clapped her hands in eagerness.

"Now, now, Feisty pants." Flynn chastised, "She still need to get used to the horses first." He said as he brushed Maximus' smooth and pure white mane.

"Okay, Elsa…" Aiden started as he stood next to a pure black horse, "Meet Maximus!" He said as he pointed at the magnificent white stallion that stood tall and proud next to Flynn, "And this one is Ebony." He said, patting the mighty black stallion next to him.

Elsa never saw horses so beautiful and massive… Well… Elsa actually haven't seen horses in general since she was six.

"And this is Sven!" Kristoff introduced as he gave his reindeer a sideway hug.

"Sven…" Elsa tried the name on her tongue.

"Yup!" Kristoff said, "He's my best friend! Don't worry, he doesn't bite."

"Alright, Elsa…" Rapunzel started, "First you need to build your trust with the animal so you can mount them." She turned to Flynn and motioned for him to come forth.

As Flynn led Maximus towards Elsa, she could hear the horse's loud and confident hooves making contact with the coble stone of the stables. When the horse drew closer, he neighed in distress. She could see how big the beast was. She felt a bit unease, and she backed away a bit.

Flynn calmed the horse down with a pat on the neck. _What's wrong with you boy?! It's just Elsa._ "Don't worry Elsa he might be too confident in himself but he's harmless." Flynn assured.

Elsa looked towards Anna for assurance, and Anna nodded in encouragement. Elsa looked back at the stallion and smiled. She slowly approached the steed, looking at him in awe. Maximus neighed again, feeling uncomfortable and scared of the unnatural cold waves Elsa was emitting.

"Flynn, be careful…" Anna said a bit worried.

"Calm down…" Flynn whispered to the horse through gritted teeth while smiling at Elsa. _What the hell is wrong with you?! _He thought when he saw the horse lowered his ears back in nervousness.

When Elsa was now close to the horse, Maximus reared and nearly knocked out Flynn.

Elsa gasped in fear and she jumped away, "He's afraid of me!" Elsa said and felt disgraceful and woeful. _I'm a monster… _She stared down at her hands and clenched her fists. She started to shake her head at the horse and felt tears in her ears.

_You're unnatural!... A Freak! Everyone will be afraid of you! _

Elsa lowered her head and wrapped her arms around her middle. She knew her father was right, and the animal in front of her proved it even more.

When loosened, Maximus quickly backed away as much as he could from Elsa, snorting and nickering at her, not used to the cold at all.

Everyone was shocked at the horse's reaction and Anna quickly rushed to assure Elsa, "No, no, no, Elsa! He's not afraid of you! He's just not used to the cold, that's all!"

Elsa looked at Anna eyes, wanting to find any sign of fear and show herself that everyone really feared her, but she found none in those warm blue-grey eyes. She looked away from Anna and hugged herself more.

Kristoff felt heartbroken for Elsa. _Stupid horse! I told them that reindeers are better than horse but they didn't believe me-… Wait. Reindeers? _Kristoff's face lit up and an idea poked his mind. He turned to his best reindeer and finger-whistled for him. The reindeer poked his head up from his carrots and his face lit up at his master. He was about to run at him and lick his face all up but, "Oh no, no, no! Not me, boy." Kristoff stopped him and turned to point secretly at Elsa. _Sven is used to the cold… He can manage Elsa's cold right? _Kristoff thought.

Sven tilted his head in confusion at Elsa's sorrowful face and he could sense her sadness. The reindeer's face lit up again when he understood what his owner wanted. He quickly hopped happily and excitedly towards Elsa, feeling the cold, but ignoring it and actually loving it.

Anna was patting Elsa's back and trying with the help of Rapunzel to comfort her when the three women suddenly heard loud thuds of excited hooves. Elsa lifted her head in confusion to see what was making the noise but she was met with Sven's face as the reindeer licked her mercilessly and would have tackled her to the ground but Elsa quickly steadied herself.

Everyone's eyes widened in fear-except for Kristoff- knowing that Elsa would definitely freak out by suddenly being invaded by a reindeer and soaked with salvia. _Oh, nonononono! Sven STOP!_ Anna was about to rush and remove the reindeer off of Elsa but Kristoff held her back and gave her a reassuring smile in which she returned in a worried and unsure one. Then all of their eyes widened when they heard it.

Surprisingly, Elsa started to laugh as she tried to calm the reindeer down and tried to dodge as much licks as she could but the reindeer was too excited. "S-Stop, Sven!... Stop!" Elsa tried to say as she laughed gleefully aloud and tried to back the reindeer away from her, but he was no longer following his Master's command, he was enjoying the company of Elsa.

Anna and the others watched happily in surprise. "Awwwwwwwww!" Rapunzel cooed at the two and clapped her hands.

Anna turned to Kristoff with a smile of disbelief, "This is your work, isn't it?" She asked with a smirk while pointing at the gleeful Elsa and the enthusiastic reindeer.

Kristoff grabbed his shirt with the tip of his fingers, gesturing that he had nothing to do with it, "I only whistled."

Anna smiled fondly and proudly at the man's kindness and warm heart and felt her own heart beat lunged herself at him and gave him a huge hug, "Thank you." She whispered in his ear. _Why are you so amazing?_

Kristoff's eyes widened when he was wrapped in a hug… By ANNA! He felt he was about to faint of happiness. His nervous hands slowly made it to hug back, "Y-Your welcome!" He said back in surprise. He was never ever close to someone and especially women and never even hugged anyone. _Why are you so beautiful?... Wait, what?! _He suddenly turned bright red and Anna broke the hug and was red as well, "U-Uh… Look! You… M-Made her happy!" Anna said as she tried to hide her blush and pointed at the delightful Elsa.

Elsa's eyes followed Sven since the reindeer was hopping and snorting in happiness around her and she couldn't help but laugh at the strange animal that reminded her of herself. Different and weird looking. As she motioned for Sven to calm down with her hands, Sven stopped his hoping and calmed down. Elsa smiled fondly at him. As the room turned silent, Sven slowly made his way towards Elsa again, sniffing her as he approached. Then he slowly approached his nose to Elsa's hand. Elsa didn't notice the reindeer's new approach, she was beaming at Anna like an excited child showing his mother what he just discovered. Elsa felt something touch her hand and her eyes widened before she quickly flinched her hand away and turned to look who touched her and she was met with Sven's face.

Everyone watched the two carefully, though Kristoff seemed calm and sure of what would happen since he only smiled and crossed his arms.

Elsa looked at her hand then back at the reindeer. Sven tried to approach again and sniffled her hand. "No, Sven." Elsa said calmly and sadly as she motioned for the reindeer to stay back from her hands, "I-I could hurt you… I don't want that." But Sven tilted his head in confusion and the others would have sworn that the reindeer understood since Elsa was talking to him as if she was talking to a human being. Sven shook his head, snorted and made a sad sound and bobbed his head as if motioning for Elsa to touch his nose. Elsa bit her lip and darted her eyes on the ground, wondering if she should do what Sven probably wanted. I can't do that! What if I hurt him! She looked back up at Sven and gave him a worried look, but Sven bobbed his head more and insisted. Elsa then bit her lip, turned her face away, cowered a bit, slowly held her shaking hand up for Sven's nose and she closed her eyes with the other hand, not willing to see how the reindeer would freeze and die right in front of her. Then… She felt Sven's nose on her hand and she let out a gasp but didn't dare remove her hand off of her eyes. _He's frozen! He's dead! What did I do!? _Before she could panic, she felt Sven's hot breath on her cold hands and the reindeer let out a satisfied and relaxed sound as he rubbed his nose more on Elsa's hand, loving the cold touch.

Everyone smiled sympathetically at Elsa. _And they dare say that she wants to hurt us. _Anna thought a bit angrily at the people who accused Elsa of being an evil person.

_Can someone still be brave if he's afraid?_ Aiden thought. These past few days, Elsa have taught him something important; He have learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. A brave man was not he who did not feel afraid, but he who conquered and fought that fear. And Elsa was the one who have been trying to overcome her fears and tried her best to learn new things. Again, his admiration towards her grew.

Elsa, with her eyes still closed, moved her gloved fingers carefully on the reindeer's nose, trying to imagine what fur felt like. When she was sure that her ice didn't escape her gloves and could still feel the life of the reindeer next to her, she slowly parted her fingers so she could peek through. And to her surprise, the reindeer was well and happy, and not frozen and dead. _He's not frozen! I didn't kill him! There's no ice!_ Elsa let out a loud breath of laughter and relief while rubbing and petting the animal's nose. Sven licked her hand and she giggled when she felt it tickle. She turned to Anna with a radiant, lip-parted smile, "Look, Anna! Look!" She called and her hand trailed to pet the reindeer's head, "No ice!... No ice, Anna! No ice!"

As if Elsa's laughter was contagious, Anna and the others giggled at her excitement.

Sven then licked Elsa's face again and Elsa felt greatly attached to this animal. She quickly wrapped her arms around the reindeer's neck and squeezed him- nearly choked him- in a hug as if she was hugging her favorite blanky or teddy bear, squishing her cheek with Sven's fur and felt tickles on her face. Even though the reindeer smelled horrible, she ignored it. "Good boy, Sven!" She cooed, "Good horsey!"

Everyone stifled a laugh since Elsa probably didn't know what a reindeer was. Kristoff quickly stopped his laughs, "I-It's a reindeer, Elsa." He corrected through his giggles.

"Reindeer!" Elsa repeated happily-even though she didn't understand what a reindeer was- and squeezed Sven tighter and Sven now had a 'Help me! I'm choking!' look and his eyes would have popped out.

_Well… Looks like she loves animals._ Anna shook her head in amusement at Elsa's behavior and she moved to stop her before the reindeer could get really strangled in her hands, "Okay, okay, big girl! Give the poor boy a break." Anna said as she motioned for Elsa to give him mercy.

Elsa's eyes widened in realization and she quickly let go of the reindeer and smiled apologetically at the animal whom she swore that he gave off a sigh of relief. "Sorry, Sven…" Elsa said and felt embarrassed as she patted the poor reindeer's head calmly, giving her apologies.

"When you get and feel better, I'll teach you how to ride him. Now… Do you know what makes Sven really happy?" Kristoff asked Elsa happily.

Elsa felt a bit unease as Kristoff spoke to her so she squeezed herself to Sven as if the animal would protect her. She shook her head, not knowing an answer for Kristoff's question.

"Well! He loves carrots!" Kristoff said and held a sack of carrots for her to prove his point and when Sven saw this, he couldn't stop hopping in place, wanting a carrot so badly.

"Carrots…?" Elsa tilted her head, not understanding what Kristoff was talking about and looked at Anna for explanation.

"Yeah!" He nodded in confirmation excitedly and grabbed a carrot from the sack to show it to Elsa.

Elsa mouthed an 'Oh'. _So that's the orange thingy the women in the field were pulling from the ground!_ Elsa realized.

Kristoff held a carrot for Sven and the reindeer took a huge bite that took off half of the carrot, then Kristoff followed suit and munched the same carrot.

Rapunzel made a disgusted face, "Ew…" She muttered while Anna tried to hide her disgust with an uncertain and awkward smile.

_That's… Interesting._ Anna thought.

Sven jumped at Kristoff and nearly pushed him to the ground as he licked his master gratefully and showed him how much he loved him. Kristoff laughed and quickly tried to calm the beast down while Elsa watched in amazement at how much the reindeer loved this man. When the reindeer calmed down, Kristoff chuckled a bit then held a carrot for Elsa to take so she could feed it to Sven.

Elsa's eyes widened and she looked between the carrot, Kristoff and Sven in unease. She didn't dare turn at Anna. She could already sense the girl's smirk and she knew what the redhead wanted her to do. _Why do they love to make me do this?! _

Anna cleared her throat, "We're waiting." She teased and Elsa wanted to glare at her so badly.

Elsa took a deep breath before she took a peek at Sven, so she could somehow take assurance from him. The reindeer only stuck his long tongue out in happiness and waited eagerly for a carrot. Elsa took that as a 'Go ahead.' She swallowed then brought her hand up to take the carrot from Kristoff… Probably snatch it.

"Nice and easy." Anna reminded.

Elsa bit her lip and her fingers grabbed the tip of the carrot, far away from Kristoff hand. Kristoff let go of the carrot and backed away to show Elsa that there was no harm done.

Anna let out a laugh, "See! That's much better than before! At least we're not on the ground and soaking wet, right Elsa?" She said with a humored tone.

Elsa wasn't sure what to do. She eyed Kristoff cautiously for a moment before she looked at the carrot in her hands. _They didn't hurt me…_ She thought as she remembered Aiden's kindness and now Kristoff's. _Coocoos… _Elsa then felt someone nudge her elbow and she turned to see Sven waiting for his carrot.

Elsa looked at the carrot then back at Sven. She smiled and held it up for him. Sven quickly bit the carrot and wagged his tail happily. Elsa let out a small giggle and then looked at the carrot in her hands, unsure of what to do next. She remembered that Kristoff munched on it after Sven. Did that mean she had to, too? What did it even taste like? What if it was like broccoli?! She scrunched her nose when she remembered the horrible taste. Though, Sven seem to love it. Elsa then shrugged her shoulders and went to take a bite.

Anna saw that and she hurried to stop her, "Elsa! Nononono! Not after the reind-" But it was too late and Elsa munched on it and froze, not knowing that the carrot was probably covered in reindeer salvia. Anna held her breath and quickly ran to hide behind Rapunzel since she didn't wanted to be covered in carrot remains too. Rapunzel shook her head and turned to hide behind Anna too, not wanting to be spat at like Anna before.

"What are you doing?! Stop it! I wanna hide behind you!" Anna said.

"Oh nononono! Not me! I don't wanna be covered in carrots!" Rapunzel said as she too tried to hide behind Anna.

The other men watched in confusion at the two women's strange behavior. Anna and Rapunzel decided to hide behind Aiden's huge body. "Just stay put, Oafy." Rapunzel said and patted his back while cowering behind him. Anna and Rapunzel then peeked from behind Aiden's shoulder and waited for Elsa's reaction.

Elsa's eyes were wide and she shuddered horribly at the salvia but as soon as the real taste of the carrot arrived, she suddenly relaxed and munched again… And holy cannoli! Her eyes grew wide again as she felt how INCREDIBLE this orange thing tasted! It was a nice, satisfying, slightly sweet, nutty taste and Elsa's tongue haven't tasted a sweet thing in years. Elsa then smiled widely and took another bite from this amazing new food. To hell with meat! This thing was much better than anything she ever tasted. Not that she ever tasted anything other than meat.

Kristoff laughed aloud, "Looks like I'm not the only one who loves carrots!" He said delightfully and beamed with pride.

_How did she even managed to ignore the salvia!_ Anna thought as she stared jaw-slacked from behind Aiden.

"That's really weird." Rapunzel said as she shook her head in amusement at Elsa.

Elsa turned to give Anna a bite but Anna wasn't next to her. Her face turned confused and she looked around to locate her before her eyes landed on Anna's dumbfounded face. Elsa smiled and held the carrot for Anna to try it with a cute smile, even though Anna was like five meters away. How did Anna get over there so suddenly? Elsa didn't know.

Anna walked out from behind Aiden's and moved towards Elsa, "Awww! You wanna share? U-Uh…Oh no thank you… I'm good with neat and clean broccoli." She said as she giggled nervously a bit, "I don't actually like carrots anyway."

Elsa's hand was still held up with the carrot and her face suddenly turned blank… and determined.

Anna gasped aloud in horror as she realized what Elsa was doing, "Not that face again! Oh please, no! Have mercy! I don't like carrot!" She quickly hid her face with her hands, not willing to look at THAT DAMN BLANK FACE!

"Come on, Anna, it's only a carrot! And Elsa is just sharing it with you!" Rapunzel teased and Anna vowed that she was going to stuff the blonde's pillow with broccoli tonight.

She peeked through her hand and was met with Elsa's blank face again. Anna slapped her forehead and sighed in defeat. She slowly took the carrot from Elsa's hand and the princess smiled in satisfaction.

Anna looked at the carrot in unease and bit disgusted then bit her lip and gulped. She slowly took a bite and shivered at the taste she truly always hated. "H-Hmmm…" She hummed nervously as if she loved the carrot just to satisfy Elsa. "I-It's great!" She lied. Her eyes twitched and she couldn't hold it anymore. She spat the carrot on the ground and brushed her tongue with her hands, "Ew! Ew! Ew! Ew! I hate carrots!" She screamed.

Elsa suddenly burst into laughter and clutched her stomach as she pointed at Anna.

Anna looked at her in disbelief. She suddenly gasped when she realize something, "You did this on purpose!" She shouted and wanted to slap herself how she didn't figured it out. "How did you know that I hate carrots!?"

Elsa stopped her laughs for a bit as they turned to giggles and she pointed at Rapunzel.

Rapunzel waved with a smirk, "I told her when you were snoring like a pig at night and didn't let us sleep."

Anna gasped again and turned to Elsa with an evil smile, "I'm _so_ gonna get you!" She warned playfully.

Elsa's face suddenly fell and turned afraid, she didn't expect Anna to be angry at her. She started to back away.

Anna saw this and realized what she did. "Oh my! Oh nonono! Elsa I'm just kidding! It's just like a metaphor? Wait!... That's not a metaphor! I don't know what I'm talking about!" She flailed her hands and giggled a bit at her rambling, "It's not like I'm gonna get you _get you_! It's more like… A playful joke or something like that we say for revenge." Her eyes widened, "N-Not that I want revenge or anything! What I mean is… I won't hurt you!" She moved towards Elsa to reassure her with a wide apologetic smile, "I'm sorry, I scared you. I sometimes forget that you don't like hearing these stuff." _Since they probably remind you of when you were locked up. _

Elsa's body relaxed.

Anna placed both hands on Elsa's shoulders and looked right into her eyes, "Now you listen to me carefully. I said and I will keep saying as much as you want, that I will never, NEVER, oh dear never hurt you!" She smiled widely, "Do you understand?" She asked gently.

Elsa nodded slowly. Though on the inside she was more than grateful that she really did trust Anna. What happened a minute ago was just a kind of reflex and an instinctive reaction. Give her a break! The poor girl was tortured and treated badly for years!

"Elsa…" They heard someone call her and both her and Anna turned to see Aiden.

"Please, Elsa… You have to believe us that we will never hurt you." He assured with an honest smile while pointing his hands towards his friends and himself.

"Yes, Elsa." Anna confirmed, "No one can ever hurt you again!" _As long as I'm alive no will be able to hurt you._ She added to herself.

The stable door suddenly opened and everyone turned to see Tyler standing in the doorway, "We need to talk." He said sternly to Anna and the other thieves, and gave Elsa a cold look.

* * *

**Remember to watch the trailer! ;) (link: watch?v=ZdfDlTaDb-k) It's on youtube.**

**REVIEW!**

**Well… Elsa loves carrots. Anna hates carrots. Elsa loves Sven. He helped her feel at least that there was someone different like her… Not quite **_**someone **_**(as if human) but you know what I mean. Thank you Kristoff! Thank you Sven!**

**And yes! Daaaaaaaaa! Of course Elsa can't read and write. She needs to be schooled. Well, that's Anna and Aphrodite's job… Probably.**

**Elsa is finally showing her playful side! She only dares to use it with Anna but Oh well! At least she's using it. ;) The story is long and she still have time to try it with other people, right?**

**AAAAGGHHH! Something tells me that I should stop this story and just write it as a book. Of course with the change of characters and stuff but the main idea and scenes are there. This fic is a whole STORY! Not just a fanfic!**

**Hmmm… I don't honestly know. I'll think about it.**


	32. The Dark Side Of The Castle

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXX: The Dark Side Of The Castle

Tyler stood at the doorway, almost able to hide his glare at Elsa but clearly looking sternly at the thieves.

"Uhm… Is everything alright, Tyler?" Anna asked, a bit confused.

"You. You…" He said, pointing stiffly at Anna and Rapunzel, "And all of you." He pointed at Flynn and Aiden, "Come with me, right now!"

"Alright, alright, no need for all this yelling!" Anna said as she gestured for him to calm down with a bit of mock in her voice.

The thieves moved to follow him, "Come on, Elsa." Anna called.

"NO!" Tyler suddenly snapped and made them all jump in surprise and Elsa cowered a bit to Sven.

Everyone exchanged worried looks with Elsa, then, "What do you mean 'No'? She's coming with us-" Rapunzel was trying to say before Tyler cut her off.

"I said… No." Tyler said with a warning voice and through gritted teeth.

"Are you alright, Tyler?!" Anna said mockingly as if the man have lost his mind, "She can't stay alone here and-"

"She has the ice boy with her now move it!" Tyler commanded and Kristoff glared at him.

Now Anna was getting really irritated at his behavior.

Elsa had her eyes wide with worry since Anna was going to leave her alone with this huge man. She quickly ran towards the redhead and pulled her dress, begging her not to go.

Anna turned to her and felt her heart break. Elsa shook her head, pleasing for Anna not to listen to Tyler. Anna turned her head to glare at Tyler with a 'Look what you've done now!' look, before she turned to Elsa with a sad smile, "Elsa… Can you stay here for a minute? I swear it will be as quick as a lightning. We won't take much time, we just need to talk to this old man and see what's going on in that mind of his." She said, pointing at Tyler angrily.

Elsa bit her lip and her shoulders lifted.

Anna sighed and moved to assure her. She placed her hands on Elsa shoulders and lowered them. "I promise, Elsa. Kristoff won't hurt you. Besides, Sven's here with you!" She said rubbing the reindeer's head playfully.

Elsa lowered her head in sadness. Anna shook her head with a sympathetic smile. She leaned and hugged Elsa to comfort her.

Elsa, with her head still lowered, slowly brought her arms to hug back.

Aiden, Kristoff and Flynn stood jaw-slacked at the two sisters since they haven't witnessed Elsa's hug to Anna this morning. They turned to Rapunzel for questions.

Rapunzel smirked, "Yup… This morning." She informed then leaned closer to Aiden, "Jealous?" She teased with a whisper and Aiden sent her a death glare.

"Of course not!... Look at them, that's great!" He said with a fond smile as he watched the two sisters.

Anna broke the hug and looked into Elsa's worried eyes. "Don't worry… We won't take long and y-"

"Enough with that already and move it!" Tyler shouted, angrily and Elsa winced a bit at his voice.

"Hey…" Aiden warned Tyler with an intimidating voice and Rapunzel placed a hand on his arm to keep him calm.

Anna shook her head at Tyler in frustration and turned to Elsa one last time, "You'll be alright now, okay? Kristoff will keep you safe."

Elsa was pretty sure the opposite but she slowly nodded anyway, "O-Okay…"

Anna smiled at her sadly and shook her shoulders while glaring playfully at her, wanting her to smile. "Come on… Lighten up!"

Elsa then forced herself to smile weakly.

Anna smiled proudly back, "There we go." Then she turned to leave with the others. When she turned though, her smile suddenly turned to a hard frown.

As Elsa saw Anna walk away, she felt her heart stop and she held her hand a bit up, pleading for Anna not to leave but they were all already out and Tyler smashed the door close behind him. And now… Elsa was alone and vulnerable and the room was utter silent.

* * *

"What the HECK is wrong with you!" Were Anna's first words when they were out of the barn and out of earshot.

"Know who you're talking to, Amateur Thief." Tyler warned as he folded his hands behind his back.

Anna let out a laugh of disbelief, "Amateur?!" Anna felt her inners boil in anger.

Aiden quickly rushed to talk before Anna could do something she would later regret. He placed a hand on her shoulder and glared at Tyler, "Speak now. What do you want already? What's wrong?"

"She's wrong!" Tyler suddenly snapped and pointed at the barn door. "Since you brought her here, we had nothing but trouble!"

Anna gasped, "You mean Elsa?! How dare you say something like that!?" She yelled angrily. "She's just sca-"

"I don't fucking care if she's scared or hurt or broken or whatever! I care about my guild! The thing I have worked so hard to build! She's destroying all my efforts with each passing day!" Tyler yelled and flailed his hands.

Anna sneered and groaned in rage and was about to lunge at him but Aiden and Flynn held her back.

"How can you be so heartless?!" Rapunzel snapped.

"Who knows when her father will send people to get her!? They'll find us and lock us all up! Or worse… Kill us all!" Tyler argued.

"And what the hell do you suggest?!" Anna yelled as she struggled in Aiden and Flynn's grip.

"You brought her here! You fix it!" He said, pointing accusingly at Anna, "Take her back where you found her! We don't need her here!"

Everyone at that gasped. Tyler was talking as if Elsa was a stray puppy that they have found on the streets. And the worst part, that he wanted her to go back to hell for his own good.

Then, it was Aiden's turn to lunge at him, "Why you…" He gritted his teeth and released Anna.

Flynn quickly grabbed him and Rapunzel did the same for Anna.

"HOW DARE YOU!?" Anna shrieked and people started looking at them.

_Oh my god!… If only Aphrodite would have heard you say that…_ Rapunzel thought angrily.

Tyler stayed all the calm and stern, "When a person can't control her own mentality, she should not be out to roam free around normal people… And especially if she wields an uncontrollable ice magic."

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH TYLER!" Anna screamed. And oh how much Anna wished she had her bow.

"Anna, calm down please! What if Elsa heard you!" Rapunzel whispered and looked at the people who were staring at them in confusion.

"Didn't you hear what he said?!" Anna yelled in her face.

"Say one more word Tyler and I WILL kill you!" Aiden yelled when Flynn managed to get a steady grip on him.

"For your information, Elsa is the only person with a kind heart and a good mind!" Flynn defended.

Tyler rolled his eyes at them and shook his head at their irrational behavior, "Screaming like animals won't help you, Amateurs."

"Tyler, have a bit of sympathy for the poor girl." Rapunzel started calmly, "Please, just give her time."

Tyler barked out a laugh, "Sympathy?!... I gave her all my sympathy! I allowed her to live here! Isn't that enough?! But oh guess what?! She's repaying me by destroying our home!"

"RAPUNZEL!" Anna yelled at the woman, commanding her to let go so she could claw out Tyler's eyes, but Rapunzel stayed firm on her grip.

Tyler sighed, "Look… I'm not here for you to tell me how broken and how her father was cruel to her. I'm here cause I have a task for you."

At that everyone froze and stared at him confused. "A task?!" Anna asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Yes." Tyler confirmed and stood straighter.

"What do you mean 'A task'?" Aiden questioned.

"I mean that you four have done a big mistake and brought her here and she have ruined many things in the fort in which you all will pay for. You are to go out and steal whatever necessary to repay and repair the damages your… _Friend_… Have done."

"WHAT?!" They all yelled in unison.

"We can't leave Elsa alone here and just go on a mission!" Anna said angrily at Tyler's stupid and illogical task.

"Oh for god's sake! She's not a three year old whom you have to watch over all the time! She's a god damn woman for heaven's sake! She can take care of herself!" Tyler said with a mock in his voice.

"But…But… S-She can't! You know she's still scared of everyone!" Aiden reasoned.

Tyler groaned and massaged his temple, "I told you that I don't care about that. Nevertheless, you're task will be in Cadonia." He said and everyone's eyes widened.

"WHAT?!" Anna screamed in disbelief, "But that could take weeks!"

"Then you better steal as fast as you can so you can get back as soon as you can to your _precious princess._" Tyler said and turned to leave.

"Y-You can't make us!" Anna said and the anger in her was starting to turn to desperation and sadness since she felt that she was losing this battle.

Tyler turned with a smirk, "As your chief, I can. If not, then consider yourselves out of this guild." He said and turned his back again at them to leave. "You'll start off next week!" He called out as he walked away, "Oh and be sure to teach her how to keep her mentality checked! We don't need any screams at night since no one can calm her when you're… Absent." He said as he laughed a bit and went on his way.

The thieves stayed still, watching the man go with wide eyes as he went. "Do you believe that guys!?" Anna said in disbelief as she waved her hand towards where Tyler went and then let it fall limp to her side.

"And she won't stay with Kristoff alone that's for sure." Flynn said.

Anna gasped, "And YOU are even considering it!?" Aiden asked Flynn.

Flynn shook his head, "Guys, we have to do what Tyler said or else we'll end up without a safe place and a home. And… We have to do this for Elsa. She can't live outside the fort and on the streets. We have no place safe to keep her there but here."

Everyone went silent as they took in Flynn's words.

"But…" Anna started sadly, "We can't just leave her alone… _I_ can't leave her alone. What should I tell her now?... 'Oh hey, Elsa. We're going off for a week or two and you're going to have to stay here alone with all these strangers and should deal with that by yourself'?!" Anna said as she acted how she would be like when she would tell Elsa the news, flailing and waving her hands mockingly. "I can't tell her that! What will she say!? She'll definitely be worried and scared or WORSE! She'll probably stay in her room all the time till we get back! Who will bring her food!? Who will help her sleep!? Who will comfort her if she panicked?!" She paused for a minute and bit her lip, "Who will keep her safe?" She whispered, more to herself. _She'll be all alone…_

"Anna, calm down…" Rapunzel started, "I know you're worried for Elsa but… What if she stayed at Bulda's? We can tell Bulda about all this! She'll understand!" She said happily and turned to the men, "Right?" She asked them.

Flynn scratched his beard, "She also have Zoey… She can keep her company until we get back!" He suggested.

"And you think Little Zoey can keep her safe?" Anna deadpanned.

"Anna, you're talking as if Elsa is in danger. Stop worrying, she'll be fine. She's safe as long as she's here." Flynn said.

"Don't worry, Anna. Elsa's strong. She'll be okay. And… We'll try our best to finish the task as fast as we can." Aiden promised with a calm smile, though he was boiling concerned thoughts on the inside.

Anna blew her bangs out of her face, "I'm really starting to hate that man." Anna said and the others knew she was talking about Tyler. Who else?

"Come on, Anna." Rapunzel said, placing a hand on Anna's shoulder. "I think we should talk to Elsa about this."

Anna quickly turned to face her, "Are you insane?! We can't keep her worried all week! W-We'll just tell her two days before we go."

"Yeah, I think she's right." Aiden agreed, "I don't think we should worry her all the more. Let her have this week of fun before we go."

"Alright, then." Rapunzel said happily and clasped her hands, "I'll talk to Bulda about this since she already said that she'll be with Elsa next week. For now, let's go see what happened with Elsa and Kristoff."

* * *

Kristoff couldn't feel any more awkward as he sat in a deathly silence, staring at the ground, not willing to frighten her if she somehow might get scared if he looked at her. _This… is really awkward. Maybe I can make her feel better?_

Elsa sat nervously and actually afraid, preparing herself for whatever harm this man would do to her. She was squeezed to Sven as she sat next to him on the hay, trying to distract herself by playing with his fur. _Don't look at him. Stay away from him. If you don't do anything, he won't hurt you… R-Right?_

Kristoff lifted his head to look at Elsa and she did notice him since she gave off a tiny gasp and squeezed Sven closer. Kristoff silently sighed and lowered his head again. He didn't know how to talk to someone like Elsa. Heck, he didn't know how to talk to people in general, so what would make a conversation with an abused woman any easier?! _Did he used to do all this before he locked her up? What did her mother used to do when she was alive? Did they used to live happily? _He just had so many questions he wanted to ask her but he didn't know how. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked at her nervously. He had to break this crazy silence. "S-So –uh… You really like Sven, huh?" He said awkwardly.

When she suddenly heard his voice, Elsa felt a wave of dread rush into her body. _No, no, no, no… _She was scared of what she should have told him. She just knew that if she answered wrong, he would definitely punish her. Her father always did that. So this man would definitely do the same. She also knew that she had to answer eventually or else she would receive a slap or a kick. And heck no! She didn't want that. She bit her lip hard and shakily nodded quickly, still not looking at him. Instead, she kept her eyes on Sven's fur.

Kristoff smiled sadly at her. He cleared his throat, "You know… Sven really likes you too!" He said happily and praised himself when he saw how Elsa's ears perked up in interest.

Elsa's eyes widened a tiny bit when Kristoff said that someone… or something liked her. She very stiffly turned to look at him but her eyes kept continuously avoiding him. One second her eyes were on him, the other they were on the ground. She carefully took quick peeks at him, eying him warily if he would get angry, disgusted or shocked if she talked. "R-… R-Really?!" She dared ask, feeling a tiny bit happy.

He knew that she was watching him closely and cautiously, checking every bit of reaction he would emit. Kristoff's smile grew when he noticed the itsy-bitsy happy tone of her voice. "Yeah! Can't you see he can't already leave your side!" He said pointing at the reindeer that laid happily resting next to Elsa, enjoying how cold she was in this merciless hot summer.

But… Elsa was always hated. Never loved. She was always cursed at and yelled at. She was a murderer! Who would ever like a murderer? She just didn't know, and she wished she did. She looked at Sven and smiled, rubbing his head.

Kristoof looked over Sven, "Hey, Sven! Come here boy!" He called and patted his lap. "Come on, boy!"

Sven slowly lifted his and stared at him with a boring look. He then yawned, ignored his master and let his head fall in Elsa's lap, enjoying her cool touch.

Kristoff's eyes widened and he shook his head in amusement, "Well I'll be damned… He really does love you. Probably more than me, too."

Elsa looked at Sven's head in her lap. She would have freaked out if it was a human being but since 'Reindeers' never harmed her before, she didn't see a reason to panic. Instead she smiled at the animal and kept petting his head.

Kristoff smiled happily. At least she was smiling and not focusing on being afraid. Even if the smile was directed at his best reindeer, he didn't mind. A smile was a smile, none the less. He knew that Anna would be proud of him and he wanted to jump in joy.

Another silent fell, and Kristoff's curiosity started to take over. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he tried to think of how was Elsa's life before she was locked away. He remembered that the king had locked the gates when the second princess was born. _But why?_

As he stared at the ground, lost in thoughts, "Elsa? Did he ever… I-I mean… How was it like in the castle?" He found himself ask before he could stop himself.

Hearing him calling her name and acknowledging her for no reason was a nightmare. Her scared face was back and she clenched her fists. Then she heard him ask about her past and she couldn't help but to remember everything that used to happen in the castle.

* * *

**Elsa's Flashback**

Aphrodite was running as fast as she could in the hallways of the castle as she dragged a little four year old crying Elsa behind her. A fear expression all over the queen's face. She had to hide her! She had to or else he would hurt her! Since the day Anna was born the king became very harsh and cruel with Elsa.

"ELSA!" They heard the king yell.

Aphrodite, panicking, quickly turned on a corner and entered a dim room. She quickly looked towards a closet and dashed towards it, still not saying a word to her frightened daughter. She opened the empty closet as she panted and quickly shoved the back of it open revealing a secret tiny spot where only Elsa could fit in. It was the secret spot where she was going to use to hide Elsa whenever her father was raging. She quickly help Elsa get inside, "S-Stay here, Elsa! Do you h-hear me!?" Her voice shook from fear.

"ELSAAAA!" The king shrieked again.

"M-Mama… W-What about Anna!?" Terrified Elsa asked while she cried.

Aphrodite stifled a sob and turned back to Elsa as she trembled, "D-Don't worry about Anna! She's with Gerda. She'll keep her safe! Now s-stay here and don't come out until I tell you, d-do you understand?!" She said urgently before she turned fearfully to the door to make sure that her husband didn't enter. She turned back while tears streamed down her cheeks and she grabbed her daughter's shoulders and looked right into her eyes, "Promise me that you won't come out not until I come back, d-do you hear?!" But Elsa only sobbed and shut her eyes.

"APHRODITE!" The king called.

"DO YOU HEAR ME!?" Aphrodite shouted frightfully and desperately.

Elsa let out a sob and cried but nodded shakily, anyway.

Aphrodite smiled sadly at her, "T-That's my brave girl." She said and quickly kissed her daughter's forehead and took a step back from the closet. As tears stained her face, "Y-You'll be safe here." She closed the closet, leaving nothing but tiny light that entered from the holes of the closet door. She knew her husband wanted to let his rage out at someone and it wouldn't pass without bloodshed. She wasn't going to let him hit her daughter. If he was going to hurt someone, let it be her. But at least Elsa would be safe. _Anything for my children… Anything for my children…_ She repeated in her head to give herself courage since she was as afraid as Little Elsa.

Elsa then heard her mother's footsteps fade away, then a door clicked open then shut. She gasped and whimpered when she heard her father's barely muffled yells.

"Where is she!?" The king yelled.

"I-… I-I don't know." She heard her mother say and from her voice she could already sense that her mother was shaking from fear.

"Don't lie to me, Bitch! Where did you hide her?!" The king yelled and Elsa heard a thud on the wall and a yelp from her mother and she knew that her father was pinning his wife to the wall.

"J-Jamie… J-Just please listen to me! S-She just wanted… T-To show you what she can do! She didn't m-mean to freeze the door!" Aphrodite managed to say.

The king grabbed his wife's wrist aggressively, "I told her million times not to use her curse! But SHE DID!" He grabbed her throat, "Tell me where she is!"

Elsa was shaking from fear now. She gasped and placed both hands on her mouth to keep herself quiet when she heard a slap, followed by a disturbing thud on the ground.

"TELL MEEE!" Her father shrieked again.

"I DON'T KNOOOOW!" Her mother yelled weakly and Elsa could already hear the pain in her voice.

Elsa then heard her father's angry groan, "I will find her myself then!" Then she heard the stomping of raging footsteps slowly fading away. "Come out now, Elsa!" The king yelled. "Come out, you little wretched thing! If you don't come out, I swear I'll kill you!"

Elsa squeezed her hands really hard on her mouth and tried her best to muffle her cries and sobs. She squeezed her eyes shut and remembered that her mother strictly told her not to come out. _M-Mama… I'm scared!_

After a whole hour, Elsa slowly started to calm down when she finally stopped hearing her father's angry yells and calls. The whole castle was deathly silent. It's been an hour and there was still no sign of her mother. She started to get worried. She suddenly heard the door of the room click open and she quickly squeezed herself tighter inside her hiding spot. She closed her eyes, hoping beyond hope that whoever that was, wouldn't find her. When the closet door opened and permitted light to finally enter, Elsa gasped dreadfully, "No!" She squeezed her eyes tighter and waited for the inevitable.

"SShhhh! It's me!" Elsa felt a whole wave of relief when she heard her mother's most soothing voice. She quickly opened her eyes to see her mother's warm and comforting yet weak smile that drained all of her little heart's worries.

"Mama!" She quickly wrapped her arms around her mother's neck and felt yet another wave of comfort.

Aphrodite wrapped her arms around her daughter protectively and somehow felt finally that her little snowflake was safe. "It's okay… You're good now. He's gone. He's out hunting." She assured her frightened Elsa.

Elsa then broke the hug so she could look at her mother's soothing face but she let out a gasp of shock and her eyes shot wide when she saw the hideous and disturbing bruise on her mother's cheek and how her hair and clothes were disheveled and her face exhausted. "Mama!... Your-… Your cheek!" She said, shocked, before she worriedly and curiously touched her mother's bruise.

Aphrodite grimaced and hissed in pain at her daughter's touch but she quickly and weakly smiled so she couldn't worry Elsa more. "It's nothing, Sweety." She slowly guided her daughter's tiny hand off of her pained cheek, "It's just a tiny bruise." She reassured.

But Elsa could clearly see that it wasn't that tiny. "Did… Did Papa…?" She wanted to know if her father really was the criminal who did this to her mother.

"No, no, no! I-It wasn't Papa… I just… I just tripped on the stairs and accidently hit my cheek. It's really nothing." Aphrodite tried to lie and when she saw Elsa's face, she knew she failed.

Elsa felt her tears form again. She wasn't convinced. She knew that it was her father who did this.

Aphrodite sighed sadly since Elsa was unfortunately too smart for her age. Not that Aphrodite wasn't proud, but sometimes, children shouldn't know specific stuff and especially violence. Very few of the castle servants knew about the king's cruelty but all those few mysteriously disappeared. Aphrodite wouldn't dare tell anyone since she would be either aggressively silenced by her husband or threatened that he would kill both of her daughters right in front of her eyes, so The Silenced Queen knew that no one would ever know the truth about the dark side of the castle.

Elsa quickly wrapped her tiny arms around her mother again and cried, "I'm sorry, Mama! It was my f-fault that… P-Papa hurt you! I hate my magic, Mama! I hate it! I don't want it! I don't! Because of me… L-Look what Papa d-did!"

Aphrodite exhaled sadly and caressed her daughter's head so she could comfort her.

"I'm s-sorry, Mama!... I w-was so scared! A-And I had to hide like you told me to!... I just c-couldn't… d-d-do-" Elsa couldn't handle it anymore. She let out a loud guilt-ridden and woeful sob before she allowed her cries to take over her.

Aphrodite squeezed her shaking daughter in her arms, "Hey! Sh, sh, sh, sh… It's okay, Snowflake!... It's okay… I'm okay now, don't worry." She shushed and Elsa buried her face in her mother's chest.

After a few minutes of shushing and rocking the scared Elsa, the little girl still didn't calm down. Aphrodite then had a new idea and she would try to sooth her with another way. She broke the hug and Elsa lowered her head, not willing to look at her mother's tired face since she knew it would make her feel guiltier.

Aphrodite smiled sadly and lifted Elsa's chin up with her gentle and slender finger to see Elsa's bloodshot eyes, "Oh, my little snowflake." She said softly while shaking her head and looking right into those teary cyan eyes that she adored so greatly, "It's not your fault." She wiped her daughter's tears away with her thumb then smirked playfully, "Tell you what…" She started with a happy voice and a delightful face so she could lighten the mood, "How about you put your hand on my cheek and let your powers flow on it."

Elsa sniffled and rubbed her left teary eye, "W-Will that… Will that help?" She asked with her little voice.

Aphrodite put on an excited smile, "Of course it will! Here, let me help you." She said encouragingly and grabbed her daughter's cold and tiny hand in hers, "Now… I want you to make some snow. Can you do that for me, Snowflake?" She asked gently.

Elsa was now curious like any child would be. She nodded, still not understanding what her mother was trying to do. She let the cold flow threw her veins and into her body, creating a tiny pile of snow in her hand. Elsa smiled when she was successful, "Like this?!" She said excitedly, holding her hand up to show her work to her mother.

Aphrodite giggled, "Beautiful!" She said and tapped her little girl's nose and made her laugh.

"Now what?" Elsa asked eagerly.

"Now…" Aphrodite started and held her daughter's hand, guiding it to her own cheek, "We let your powers help me." She said and carefully placed Elsa's hand that held the snow on her cheek. She sighed and relaxed, closing her eyes as she felt the cold ease the pain of her bruise while Elsa watched her warily and curiously. Aphrodite's lips drew a wide smile of relief.

"Did it work?" Elsa asked inquisitively.

"Uh-Hmm…" Aphrodite hummed in approval. She opened her eyes and stared proudly at her daughter's gorgeous eyes that sparkled in happiness. "See?... Your powers made me feel much better. They are great, Elsa. It's a gift that you should treasure. They are a part of you."

Elsa looked at her hands, "Papa said that I should learn not to live with them."

_Your father loves to say a lot of stuff._ Aphrodite thought sarcastically and mentally rolled her eyes at her husband. _Bastard…_

"Your father is wrong, Elsa." Aphrodite said and lifted her daughter's head so she could look right into her eyes, "Tell me… Can a horse run with three legs only?"

Elsa shook her head.

"Can a fish swim without a tail?"

Elsa thought for a moment then shook her head again.

Aphrodite smiled and cupped her daughter's cheeks with both of her hands and let their forehead touch, "Then you can't say 'No' to your powers. They are the very part of your heart. And you actually saved me." She said playfully with a wink as she gently poked where Elsa's heart laid.

"I did?!" Elsa said as her face lit up.

"You're my herooo!" Aphrodite sing-songed and started tickling Elsa's tiny tummy.

Elsa started to laugh and tried to escape her mother's attack, "Mama… S-Stop!" She managed to say.

Aphrodite laughed and stopped.

Elsa stopped her laughs and smiled fondly at her mother. The two stared at each other fondly in silence before Elsa lunged herself at her mother and hugged her tightly. "I love you, Mama."

Aphrodite kissed her daughter's platinum head, "I love you too, Snowflake."

* * *

Elsa found herself smiling at the memory of her mother, but as soon as that smile appeared, it faded and turned to a sorrowful and shameful one.

Kristoff was confused when her smile disappeared. Minutes ago he was happy by seeing Elsa smile while she was thinking of something. _Well… Looks like she does have a good memory. We just need to figure out what it is! _But he didn't know why that smile suddenly faded.

Elsa sighed and lowered her chin to her chest, wrapped her arms around her middle and held her tears inside. She wasn't going to let herself cry. She won't allow herself to cry. Nothing can bring her mother back. She was a monster and she killed her own family. Period.

Kristoff had a sad expression on his as he watched Elsa hold back her tears for some reason. He understood that somehow this good memory was followed by a bad one, so he moved to help out, "You know, talking about it can make you feel better." He suggested nervously. Psh! As if Elsa would have talked to him.

Without looking at him, Elsa shook her head, "I don't feel." She said flatly with a tone that Kristoff never heard before. It was cold and emotionless.

Elsa forgot her fears in that moment. She was feeling one thing: Anger and loath towards herself. If she was in a normal state, she would have punched herself because of how she responded and she would have turned fearful.

Kristoff furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, "You don't feel?" He asked as if he thought he heard wrong.

Elsa only shook her head again while staring right at the ground. She lifted her eyes to stare at her hands, "Monsters don't feel."

Kristoff was more confused now. He leaned forward, "And you think that you're a monster?" He asked and didn't realize that he was having a real conversation with Elsa.

At that Elsa's eyes shot wide with fear as her mind returned to reality. A man was asking her if she was a monster. That sounded so familiar. Yes! It was the same. A man, her father, had always asked her that question and she had answered the same answer for fifteen years. She whipped her head to Kristoff and stared at him dreadfully and she started to breath fast.

* * *

**Flashback**

The king stood above his beaten nine year old daughter's shaking body, "Are you a monster now, Elsa?" He asked as he panted.

He have been beating her since when he asked her that question minutes ago, she told him that she wasn't a monster, but he was. And now, he taught her a great lesson, and she have definitely learned.

Elsa couldn't breathe properly as she felt the pressure on her chest from all the beating he gave her. Her nose bled badly and she coughed blood as she cowered underneath him. "Y-Y-Yes!... Yes! Yes! I am!"

* * *

"Y-Yes! Yes! I am! I am! I'm a monster! Just please… D-Don't hurt me!" Elsa suddenly blurted without even thinking about an answer while cowering behind her arms. She remembered how much pain she had received every time she had answered this question wrongly when she was a little nine year old. She looked around fast, trying desperately to find Anna, but the girl didn't return and Elsa felt that familiar fear she once felt in the cellar all back again, despite the worried nudges Sven was giving her.

Kristoff's eyes shot wide, "Wait, Elsa! Nonono! I wasn't going to hurt you! I-I don't even think you're a monster at all!" _Holy shit! I'm definitely going to freeze! _

Elsa kept darting around her eyes, begging for Anna to appear at any moment so she could save her before this man could hurt her. _Please! Please! Please! _She had to hide from him! She had to run! She stood and whipped her head towards the door and started running towards it.

Seeing this Kristoff quickly moved to stop her, "Elsa, wait!" He was quicker than her and he stood quickly in front of her and stopped her dead in her tracks and she gasped aloud in horror. "Elsa, can you please just listen to me!?" Kristoff asked desperately while pulling his hair.

Elsa gasped aloud and nearly fell backwards then started backing away while shaking her head and holding her hands up defensively, "P-Please!... Just stay back!" She said as she started to hyperventilate and her hands trembled. This is it. She knew it. He was going to hurt her and there was nowhere to hide. "A-Anna!" She screamed but Anna and the others were far from the barn.

Kristoff started advancing on her, "Elsa, no! Don't! Please!" He didn't want her to call Anna and let the redhead see how the bright-blonde was terrified of him. He was trying desperately to calm her but the poor man didn't even know how to calm himself. "Elsa, just please… Calm down!" As he moved forward, motioning for her to calm down, she moved backwards in terror.

"S-S-Sven…!" She called desperately as if the reindeer would have helped her. She would have called anyone actually to stop this man. The reindeer only tilted his head and wasn't understanding the situation.

In Kristoff's panic, he didn't realize that he was cornering her. "Elsa, please listen to me! I won't hurt you!"

Elsa's back hit the wall and she knew she was cornered. She suddenly had it, "NO!" She collapsed to the ground and cowered behind her arms and waited for the inevitable as she started to cry. _Please…! _She just didn't want to feel pain. Hadn't she had enough after all those years? Couldn't she just have a break?

Kristoff stopped advancing and realized what he was doing. _Oh my god! What did I do!?_ He thought as he looked at how Elsa was huddled at the corner and how terrified she was of him. He quickly took a step back, slid down on a wall and sat on the ground as he placed his head in his palms, "Oh god, Elsa… I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you! I swear!" He said shaking his head at himself.

Elsa only squeezed herself to the corner and wrapped her arms around herself protectively as she sobbed.

The barn turned silent and the only thing that was heard were Elsa's loud sobs.

Sven neighed sadly and approached the terrified Elsa. He nudged her elbow as she hid her head and Elsa quickly recoil back with a whimper, thinking that it was the _bad man_ Kristoff wanting to hurt her. When she saw Sven she turned and lowered her head, having too much emotions running in her mind.

Sven gave off a sad whine and laid next to her before he rested his head in her lap to comfort her but she kept her face turned while sorrowful sobs racked her body over and over again.

Kristoff didn't know what to do in such situation. Don't blame him. He was only used to talk to reindeers and not sensitive and terrified women. He sighed sadly. But no! He wasn't going to give up just yet. "You know… I don't think you're a monster at all. You said a monster doesn't feel… Well… If that's true, then you are _definitely_ not a monster."

Elsa slowly stopped her sobs as they turned to soft sniffles. She didn't dare turn her head at him at all but she was listening carefully. A habit she had learned from all those years since her father always wanted her to listen and memorize every single title he gave her or insult and accusation he threw at her.

"You get scared when you feel that you might hurt someone. You cry because you're sad. You laugh and smile when you feel happy." He started to smile and he lifted his head and pointed at Sven, "You love reindeers!" _A monster eats them. _He chuckled a bit, "A monster doesn't tease her friend by feeding her a carrot… But you do!"

Elsa wiped her tears away and slowly started to lift her head as she took in Kristoff's words.

He started counting on his fingers, "You love flowers! You also love carrots! And trust me… so do I!" He laughed, "You helped Anna to make it up with her mum! You comforted her when she needed someone. You also hugged her! And damn you're lucky!" He joked and made a goofy face and Elsa actually giggled weakly at that as she rubbed her teary, bloodshot eyes.

Kristoff felt his heart beam with pride since his plan was working. He didn't care that he was admitting his interest for Anna to Elsa. The platinum haired was too kind to just run off to Anna and tell her. He knew he could trust her.

"You love watching sunsets! You hate broccoli… And so does everybody so don't worry." He rambled and then turned at her and smirked, "So tell me Princess Elsa of Arendelle… How come you say that _you_ 'Don't feel'?"

Elsa kept thinking. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again. She really had no answer for that until her face grew gloomy, "Do murderers feel?"

Kristoff wasn't sure why she asked that, "Well no of course not! If they had any sense of morality they wouldn't be called 'Murderers'" When Elsa's face suddenly grew more depressed, Kristoff got more confused. He scratched his head, thinking of a way to elevate the princess's mood. As he looked around his eyes landed on Maximus. His face lit up as an idea ran in his head. He quickly stood, "Hey, Elsa! I wanna show you something!" He ran his way to stand next to Maximus.

Elsa looked at him a bit fearful but also curious about why he was suddenly so happy.

Kristoff patted the horse's neck, "You thought that Maximus is afraid of you… But he's not! And I'm gonna prove it!" He said, proudly pointing at himself.

Elsa felt confused and she looked at Sven as if the animal would have explained. She looked back at Kristoff and slowly shook her head confusingly, not understanding what he wanted.

"You see… Horses are not like reindeers. If you're afraid, they get scared too. They sense everything you feel. In their nature they get spooked easily from any unfamiliar or new thing to them. For example, Max here isn't used to the cold. That's why we have to approach horses carefully and show them that we mean no harm, or else they'll stay terrified." He explained and then waved his hand dismissively, "It's an instincts thing so don't think too much about it. And besides, horses are like any of us! For example… You!" He pointed at her.

Elsa's eyes grew wide and she pointed at herself quizzically.

Kristoff nodded, "Yeah! You need to gain the horse's trust so you can approach it. Just like we need to build our trust with you!" He said pointing at himself again. "Now what I want you to do is to stand up and slowly approach Maximus and then just feed him a carrot. A-And don't worry!" He quickly said before she could get worried, "I'll stay away. I'll just stand right here with Sven." He said pointing at the ground right underneath him.

Elsa slowly stood with the help of Sven and brought her hands to her chest while eying the man carefully and taking in his words.

"U-Uhm… There's the bag of carrots over there." He pointed at the sack of carrots that rested on a barrel. "I'll just sit here." He said patting the barrel behind him and sat.

Elsa felt a nudge from Sven on her back, encouraging her to move. She gulped and nervously went to take a carrot, still watching Kristoff carefully and taking great distance from him. She took a carrot and turned to look at the horse nervously and worriedly.

"Go on." Kristoff encouraged gently with a wide kind smile.

Elsa gulped nervously and moved to approach the horse.

"Just hold it up for him." Kristoff informed.

Elsa slowly approached, watching the horse's reaction. Maximus lifted his head and leaned back a bit in distress. Elsa turned to Kristoff as if she wanted to tell him 'See! He's afraid of me!' but she didn't dare speak.

"Come on… Don't worry. Just give it to him." He said with a sympathetic smile and motioned for her to move forward.

Elsa took a deep breath and lifted the carrot nervously and took a very stiff step forward.

Maximus neighed a bit again, watching Elsa cautiously. As Elsa's hand approached with the carrot, his nose started to sniff. He slowly yet hesitantly brought his head down to sniff the carrot.

"Nice and easy." Kristoff whispered. "Just stay calm."

Elsa swallowed and waited patiently.

After a moment Maximus finally took the carrot and munched on it happily.

Elsa's face lit up joyfully and she turned her head to Kristoff like an excited child.

Kristoff laughed, "See!"

Elsa then felt a nudge on her hand and she turned to find Maximus searching her hand for more carrots, And he was sniffing her and touching her! He wasn't afraid anymore. Elsa hesitantly petted his nose and her face couldn't get any happier. "He's not afraid!" She said happily and started giggling as the horse searched her pockets for more carrots.

Kristoff kept laughing, "There you go! Now you two can become friends just like with Sven!"

The barn door suddenly opened and revealed Anna and the others.

Elsa's face was too excited now. "ANNA!... Anna! Anna! Anna! Look Anna!" She called as she waved her hands to bring the redhead's attention.

Anna and the others entered to find Elsa and Kristoff laughing with each other, and the thieves stood jaw-slacked at the two before they heard Elsa's voice, calling Anna, and there face lit up.

Anna looked over at Kristoff with an uncertain and questioning smile but Kristoff only shrugged his shoulders and smiled back. Anna then laughed at Elsa's behavior, "Calm down, girl! I'm coming!" She said happily as she ran to the platinum haired, excited woman.

Elsa patted Maximus's neck to prove her point, "He's not afraid, Anna! Look!" She said as she nearly hopped in place from excitement.

Kristoff felt a hard slap on his back. "Way to go, big guy!" Aiden praised happily, "I don't know how you did that and made her laugh but you gotta teach us how." He said while pointing at himself and Flynn with a radiant smile.

Kristoff chuckled, "I told you that animals are the best friends you could ever have."

"Well, blimey! I think you're right." Flynn said as they laughed with each other.

"I think your plan is working, Kristtofy!" Rapunzel teased playfully as she punched his shoulder. She leaned in to his ears, "Anna will be definitely proud of you." She then leaned back up and winked.

Kristoff blushed hardly and smiled awkwardly. "Y-Yeah… That would be great." He said casually to try and hide his excitement. _YEAAAAAAAAAAHHHH! _Oh, his heart was dancing alright.

Anna turned from the excited Elsa that kept cooing at the massive white horse, that strangely, he was now acting like Sven as he wagged his tail and neighed happily at Elsa before she hugged his face and squished her cheek with his. Anna smiled fondly and proudly at Kristoff and he gave her a shy smile and blushed before he held a thumb up. Okay… Now Anna was starting to feel foreign feelings towards Kristoff. New feelings, yes. But _great_ new feelings. 'Thank you.' She mouthed and Kristoff nodded reassuringly with a smile and waved his hand playfully and dismissingly.

Aiden felt his own heart dance. Awww! How much he loved seeing her like this: Happy, excited and carefree. Anna was right; those cyan eyes really did sparkle when Elsa was happy. Jealousy from Kristoff? Oh no, not at all. He wanted to kiss the man for making Elsa happy.

As all of them stood, watching the happy Elsa play and laugh with Sven and Maximus… And now also Ebony, they could see how heartwarming Elsa's light-hearted laugh was. Although the thieves had their own worries, they didn't dare to ruin this beautiful moment for Elsa and tell her about their task that would definitely ruin her day.

* * *

**SONG!**

**Aiden to Elsa : Broken Girl – Matthew West**

**Uh-Oh! Elsa is gonna stay in the fort without Anna… Not even Rapunzel! I hope things could turn out well. **

**Well… Tyler is a problem here. I should get rid of him. Whatdya say? No? Okay! :D**

**Tsk, Tsk, Tsk… You are one bad king, King Jamie of Arendelle. There are still **_things_ **that happened between him and Aphrodite that I will later reveal in the story. Until then… Stay tuned for more.**

**LOVE YOU, APHRODITE! *Hold a sign: I 3 Aphrodite* Awww! She used to take the horrible damage for little Elsa :'( Mothers will do anything for their children! As for the women who abuse their children well… That's not even called a mother. I really love writing flashbacks and definitely the ones before when Aphrodite was with Elsa.**

**Okay…**

**Aiden… Good boy… Stay the gentleman you are.**

**Anna is definitely worried for how she will be leaving Elsa. :/ I can hope for the best.**

**Next Chapter: Books, Books and Books**


	33. The Silenced Queen of Arendelle

**See?! I should stop saying what's the next chapter :(**

**Enjoy this one! :)**

**Elsa and Sven Cover ready in my profile :)**

**Aiden and Elsa Doodle in my profile! :)**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXXI: The Silenced Queen of Arendelle

Finally, after having enough fun with the animals, Elsa calmed down and allowed Anna and the others to walk her out of the barn, but not before she waved goodbye excitedly at Sven and every single horse in the barn.

"You know…" Aiden started, "I'm hungry." He said as he clutched his stomach.

"And I have to go after a while. I have work in the barracks." Flynn informed.

"Don't worry, we'll spend the day with Elsa." Anna assured while pointing at herself and Rapunzel.

"Well, Louis has probably prepared lunch. How about we all eat together before we part our ways?" Rapunzel suggested with a smile.

"Okay, then." Anna agreed as she clasped her hands, "And then Elsa will be busy." Anna said with a smirk.

"Busy with what?" Kristoff asked curiously.

"With school!" Anna said and started giggling, "I'll be the one to tutor her!" Anna said pointing at herself proudly with her thumb.

Aiden stifled a laugh, "Y-You?!" He barked out a laugh, "Do you even remember anything of what they taught us when we were little?"

"Hey! I remember Mr. Green very well!" Anna said while poking him with a finger.

"I still can't forget how he used to rip his hair out because of you." Rapunzel said and started to laugh.

"Hey! It's not my fault that I'm a slow learner!" Anna said with a pout.

"A _very_… Slow learner." Flynn mocked.

Anna glared at her friends before she turned to Elsa with a puppy-face, "Do you think I'm a _brainiac_?" She asked and batted her eyelashes.

Elsa looked at her with an uncertain smile, not knowing what she meant by 'Brainiac'. "Uh…" She was suddenly brought to attention when she tilted her head to see that Rapunzel and the others were waving at her to grab her attention from behind Anna's back. They were waving, shaking their head, mouthing 'No' or shaking their hands on their neck in a disagreement gesture. "U-Uhhh…" She distractingly voiced as she stared at the thieves and Kristoff in confusion.

Anna saw how Elsa was looking at something behind her so she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and quickly turned to see what it was, but she only saw her friends acting casually; Rapunzel looking at her nails, Aiden whistling a tune, Flynn trying to stifle a smirk as he folded his hands behind his back, and Kristoff crossing his arms and playing in the dirt with his foot as if all of them were innocent. "Hm…?" Anna hummed then shrugged her shoulders at herself and turned to Elsa again. "So!... Whatdya say?!" She asked her excitedly.

Elsa gave her an unsure, nervous smile. Rapunzel and the others were telling her 'No'. Did that mean that Brainiac was a bad thing? Unfortunately, Elsa didn't know that Brainiac meant Genius. "Uh… No?" She awkwardly said.

Anna's face fell, "Oh…" She said a bit sadly.

Elsa's eyebrows furrowed in worry. Wasn't 'No' supposed to make Anna happy?

Rapunzel and the others started to laugh. "See?! Even Elsa agrees." Rapunzel joked and didn't realize that their prank was too rude since poor Anna was taking it seriously.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Very funny, guys." Anna said with a frown.

Elsa was now feeling really bad for making Anna sad. She could already sense the girl's heartbreak. "Anna?" She called as she grabbed Anna from her dress and made the redhead turn to face her.

Anna stared at those worried cyan eyes and she couldn't help but smile reassuringly, "Don't worry, Elsa. It's nothing. They are just annoying sometimes." Anna said and waved her hands towards her friends.

"We are smarter, thank you very much!" Flynn said and puffed his chest. He leaned closer to Rapunzel, "Well, let's just hope Elsa's not the same." He whispered, "Oof!" He received an elbow to his stomach from his girlfriend.

As they laughed, Anna lowered her head a bit. Elsa only dared to glare at Rapunzel and silenced her.

Seeing Elsa's face made them all stop laughing and froze, feeling really scolded by the look that Elsa gave off. _Oh my god… That face._ Rapunzel thought and they all folded their hands behind their back and lowered their heads like guilty, scolded children.

Elsa then looked back at Anna and smiled sadly. She lifted Anna's chin up with her wrist and made her look into her eyes, "But I trust _you_." She said fondly and made sure she said the 'You' in a tone that meant 'Only you. Not them.'

Anna's face suddenly lit up and she quickly turned to her friends, "In your face!" She shouted at them by changing her voice to manly tone. "Elsa. Trusts. _Me_!" She said with her normal voice and linked her arm with Elsa's and pointed at herself.

"Okay, okay, you earn credits for that." Rapunzel said as she giggled.

Elsa smiled fondly at the redhead next to her whom was bragging about gaining her trust.

Aiden's stomach suddenly growled and he turned red from embarrassment.

"Wow there, Oafy. Can you tell your stomach to stop singing?" Anna teased.

"Hey! That's not my fault. I'm just hungry!" He said pleadingly.

"Well, let's go have lunch before he start eating us all." Flynn mocked and received a frown from Aiden.

Anna turned her head to look at Elsa, "How about we have lunch with _everyone_, Elsa?" She asked with a smile.

Elsa's eyes widened a bit, "E-Everyone?" She replied, uncertain. She knew what she meant by 'Everyone' and she wasn't feeling relaxed at all now.

"Don't worry, they won't bite! They'll be focusing on biting their food, Elsa." Anna assured with a humored voice. "It will be in the dining hall! Everyone will be there! Come on!... Pleaseee!" She pleaded as she shook Elsa's arm, begging her to accept.

Elsa gulped. The whole guild would be there no doubt. Too much people! Too much strangers! Too much MEN! Would Anna be able to handle them all and keep them away from her if they decided to hurt her? "I… I-I don't know, Anna." Elsa said, shaking her head.

"Aww, come on! It will be okay! I promise." Anna assured.

"Don't worry, Elsa." Aiden started, "We'll keep you safe." He promised and pointed at himself, Flynn and Kristoff.

Elsa looked at Anna worriedly and Anna gave her a reassuring smile and then a nod. Elsa then nodded, "O-Okay."

_Oh boy…_

* * *

The door of the dining hall suddenly opened and Elsa gasped aloud in horror at the scene. The loud sounds and voices of probably forty people rang in Elsa's ears. The room was in chaos! People were coming and going to tables, bringing plates of food and cups of either wine or water. Some were laughing and talking to each other loudly and some were filling their plates with random food. There were long tables every three meters and each table was crowded with people. "Garcon! Table for six!" Flynn shouted as he held the door open for his friends.

The room turned utterly silent with an unnatural speed and everyone turned to look at the new attendances. Albeit all the wide eyes were on Elsa.

Elsa's shoulders lifted and she quickly turned to leave but Anna was right behind her and she stopped her, "Oh no, you won't." She chastised and gently placed her hands on Elsa's shoulder and turned her again to face the people.

When the door opened, Tyler sneered at Elsa's sight as he sat on their private table with Brandon and Aphrodite.

Aphrodite had her hood down and she was eating peacefully while she distracted herself with the letters in her hands. Luckily to her, people were coming and going and Elsa didn't witness her.

Brandon's eyes were wide with worry and he elbowed her, wanting to tell her to put the hood on since her daughters were suddenly present.

Aphrodite was suddenly elbowed by Brandon, "Mm…" She hummed in acknowledgment as she ate and read the letters in her hands.

Aphrodite felt another harder nudge, "Mm…!" She hummed a bit angrily but her eyes were still on the paper in her hands and she couldn't speak with a mouth full. She felt another, much harder nudge and she had it, "WHAT!?" She snapped angrily and was surprised when the whole room turned silent.

Brandon pointed behind her. Her glare turned to a confused look and she followed his finger to look behind her and her eyes went wide that Brandon swore they would have popped out.

Aphrodite nearly choked on her food as she coughed and quickly put on the hood while Brandon patted her back to help her stop choking.

Elsa eyed every single person's expression towards her. Some were giving her welcoming and sympathetic smiles and some were muttering angry things under their breath and giving her frowns.

Flynn moved to stand in front of Elsa while Anna and Rapunzel stood at her side and Kristoff and Aiden behind, leaving Elsa protectively in the middle. Yet Elsa was still standing still and watching everyone fearfully.

Anna then gave her a gentle push to the back, beckoning her to move forward and follow Flynn.

As they walked towards an empty table, Elsa could already feel everyone's eyes piercing her back and she couldn't get any more nervous. She just wrapped her arms around herself as she allowed Anna and the others to guide her to the table.

Aphrodite watched her nervous daughter and she couldn't help but smile sympathetically. _Oh Elsa… Don't be scared. _She then heard a cough from Brandon and she turned to him with a confused face.

He quickly pointed at her bandaged hands.

Aphrodite's eyes grew wide, "Gloves!" She urgently said as Brandon lent her his gloves. She didn't want Elsa to see that her hands were bandages due to frostbite in which of course Elsa would blame herself, and Aphrodite didn't want that. As she put on Brandon's gloves, they looked awkward at her since Brandon had big, rough hands, but instead she had slender and small ones. She heard him chuckle slightly and she sent him a death glare that quickly silenced him.

He held his hands defensively as he tried to stop chuckling, "S-Sorry… They just… Look funny on you." He whispered and Aphrodite rolled her eyes and quickly turned her head to hide her own grin and to observe Elsa. _Buffoon…_ She thought at Brandon. As she looked at Elsa's face though, she felt sad again. Elsa looked so afraid. Aphrodite sighed sadly. Her own daughter has been victimized by a terrible wrong. During her childhood, the time she was most vulnerable, instead of being protected, helped and comforted, she was abused. The age when you teach a child to trust people. The worse part that Elsa was abused by someone who should have been trustworthy- A family member. Her own father was the criminal! Instead of being protected she was isolated _and_ violated; Treated with malice.

Now, Aphrodite was wondering if recovery was ever possible for Elsa. She just had to hope. She had to! She already knew she couldn't just snap her fingers and make everything all better for her. She had to give Elsa as much time as her daughter needed. _You're not alone, Elsa… There is still hope. Don't be scared. _Oh how much she wanted to tell these words to her daughter aloud instead of to herself. How much she wanted to apologize for leaving her alone with that… Devil. But words could never cover up over what Elsa has been through all these years. Aphrodite had hope for Elsa, but no hope for herself. _Never too late._

Walking to the table, Elsa made sure her head was lowered. Though, her eyes were still hovering over the faces of everyone. Her eyes then met a woman's and the woman quickly and fearfully looked away. Elsa felt utterly ashamed. After that, her eyes met another man's and the man glared at her and mumbled something and she knew it carried hate. Elsa now felt utterly afraid and it was her turn to quickly look away by cowering a bit and tried her best to avoid the people's judging eyes. She finally decided to keep her eyes on her feet, feeling hated.

As they finally arrived and sat around the table, she could still feel everyone's eyes on her and she wasn't comfortable at all. She wanted to run right back inside her room, but of course Anna wouldn't allow it. Elsa sat, fidgeting with her fingers nervously. She felt a warm and gentle hand on her shoulder and she turned her head to see Anna seated next to her and smiling reassuringly at her.

"We'll go fetch the meals." Flynn announced as he motioned for Aiden to follow.

Strangely, the room was still silent as everyone watched _The Ice Princess_.

Anna looked around at everyone, "Uhm… Well this is awkward." She said as she giggled a bit, starting to feel nervous herself.

"I know, right?" Rapunzel said as she was seated on the other side of Elsa and looked around at the eyes that looked towards them.

Aphrodite watched how everyone were staring at her daughter and making her uncomfortable. She suddenly felt frustrated and angered since some also dared to glare at Elsa. She just wanted her daughter to eat in peace and those pesky and obnoxious people were making her daughter uneasy and even afraid. She glared at the people who were close to her enough to see her intimidating look and when they noticed her glare they quickly understood and quickly turned away from Elsa and back to their meal. Aphrodite though, still had about thirty people to stop them from annoying Elsa. She had a simple idea that would definitely work. She groaned in frustration, smashed her cup on the table and without a word, she stood, gathered her things, held her plate, made sure her hood was good and moved to sit with her daughters. She already knew that no one in this fort would dare look towards _The Stern and Cold Leanna. _She approached her daughters' table and everyone's eyes were on her now, even Elsa's amazed wide ones, and Anna and the others' confused ones, and the only thing heard inside the hall were her echoing and calm footsteps.

She sat gracefully at the end of the table, next to Kristoff. Without saying a word, she made herself comfortable and she had to do one last simple thing. She lifted her head to see who still dare to look towards Elsa and when everyone saw her lift her head to definitely glare at them, they all quickly turned and continued what they were doing minutes ago and now the room was noisy and busy all over again as everyone went back to their business.

Anna chuckled at her mother, "Thank… You!" She said gratefully and dramatically, "I thought they would never remove their eyes off of us." _Or probably Elsa._

Brandon shook his head in amusement at the mother from the far end of the room. _Crazy woman…_

With an expressionless and cold face, Aphrodite went back to her letters and even though she was boiling worries and nervousness on the inside, she acted all casual as she took a sip from her drink. She was a trained Queen. She had learned to master Acting after all those years of royal training. "There's nothing wrong if I want to sit with my daughter."

Correction? _Daughters_. No doubt.

Aphrodite busied herself with the letter in her hand. _Keep it cool… Don't freak out… She can't see your face as long as you keep the hood checked. _She took a quick peek at Elsa and noticed that her daughter's face was finally starting to heal from the bruises but what concerned her was that stubborn slash scar on Elsa's eyebrow. She felt grateful that whatever made that scar didn't injure Elsa's eye, but she felt her heart break and she knew that this scar won't go away and would stay up there to warp her daughter's eyebrow and to taunt her. She lowered her eyes again and forced herself not to cry in front of everyone.

Elsa watched _Leanna_, the one who called her a monster, who was now her savior. She didn't know why she wasn't afraid of _Leanna_. Something about this woman was strangely familiar. But what? In her presence, she felt weirdly… Safe? Yet this hood was killing her. It hid the woman's eyes completely.

"Well that's strange, since you never sat with us before. What's that sudden mother-daughter love?" Anna said with a smirk.

Rapunzel was watching Kristoff while trying to stifle a smile since the man was nervous sitting next to Anna's mother but… more like the strictest woman in history.

_Poor Kristoff._ She thought as she smiled at him remorsefully.

Kristoff was wondering how the hell Anna could talk to her so happily as if her mother was a friendly and cheerful person. _She's as soft as a muffin on the inside._ He remembered Anna's words. Kristoff mentally scoffed. _Yeah, right._ He thought. Well… How many burnt layers were there on this muffin before he could reach that soft spot? Who would ever be able to scrap off those damaged and burnt layers anyway?

"You already know how much I love you, Anna." Aphrodite said calmly.

"I know, I know… I'm just teasing." Anna replied and rested her elbows on the table and smirked, "Aren't you going to tell Elsa?" She suddenly and vaguely asked.

Aphrodite winced and mentally facepalmed but didn't reply, instead she acted as if she didn't hear.

Elsa looked between Aphrodite and Anna, confused. _Tell me what?_

Anna frowned at her mother's silence. She turned to Elsa, "Elsa? Do you know that my mother had helped you calm down and actually saved you from being _squished_ by an almost collapsing room?" Anna asked and decided not to say '_Frozen_ room'.

With wide eyes, Elsa turned to stare at _Leanna_ in disbelief with a mouth slightly open. When did all that happen? She did not remember any _Leanna_ or a collapsing room or her screaming. She only remembered her nightmare, and how after that, her nightmare had faded into nothingness until she had woken up in a different room. Was she really screaming at night? "You… You did?!" Elsa asked, surprised.

Aphrodite felt tenser on her daughter's gaze. She sighed, "Y-Yes. I… I was just worried for you, that's all. That nightmare didn't seem any pleasant." She answered and took a bite from her meal so she could busy herself.

Elsa didn't believe that someone, especially someone like _Leanna_ could… _Worry_ for her. Now, Elsa realized that Anna's Mama saved her twice: Removing the attention of these people from her and saving her real life from a collapsing room. Something was simply strange about this woman. She felt a bubbly feeling in her stomach every time she heard this woman's voice. But where have she heard it? Where? Where? Where?! She couldn't find an answer. But there she was, smiling at this woman thankfully and gratefully. Curious about the gloves this woman was wearing, but she shook her curiosity away.

"Are you okay now, Elsa?" Aphrodite asked and Elsa was able to see the smile from her at least.

Elsa smiled happily back and nodded. Aphrodite felt her heart flutter from the smile that her daughter just sent her.

"Food!... Finally!" Rapunzel suddenly exclaimed when Flynn and Aiden finally arrived with the plates.

"Yes!" Anna said as she rubbed her hands excitedly. "Gimme food!"

"_Annnnd_ here ya go girls!" Flynn said as he placed the plates in front of each woman, though Elsa's meal was the only different thing. It had the usual sandwich and it now had boiled chopped carrots.

Anna pressed her elbows on the table as she eyed her plate hungrily and gulped her drool. "Haha!"

"Anna… Elbows." Aphrodite scolded before she took a sip from her drink.

Anna groaned, "Ah, come on! Not again!" She said in frustration.

"Keep your elbows off the table, Anna." Aphrodite reminded again, "You should have already mastered these stuff. I've been teaching you about these stuff for years!" She said with a raised eyebrow.

Anna rolled her eyes and with a mouth full she replied, "I just wanna eat!"

Aphrodite gave her younger sloppy daughter a frown, "Anna, don't speak with your mouth full!" She scolded again with a finger.

Anna shrugged and continued eating and Aphrodite shook her head at her younger disobedient daughter.

Aphrodite then looked at Elsa's plate and frowned, "Shouldn't Elsa eat something better than that? It's not healthy if she keeps eating the same thing." She said like a concerned mother while pointing at Elsa's plate.

With a mouth still full, Anna spoke, "She only eats meat, Mother."

Aphrodite looked worriedly at Elsa. _Only meat?!... Is she a dog to you!?_ She thought angrily to her husband. She already knew what Elsa's favorite dish was. But did she still love it after all those years?

"Today we discovered that she loves carrots." Rapunzel informed.

"With saliva." Anna corrected and Rapunzel gave her 'Seriously, Anna!?' look.

"Saliva?!" Aphrodite shouted, horrified. She turned to glare at Rapunzel since that wasn't the results of 'Take care of my daughter.' that she expected from Rapunzel.

"Y-Yeahhh…" Rapunzel said while cowering and feeling guilty for letting Elsa eat something after a reindeer. "U-Uhm… What Anna meant was-"

"Reindeer saliva." Anna blurted again as she ate as if everything was normal.

Rapunzel facepalmed and lowered her head to hide it, not willing to look at the eyes of the angry mother. _I'm so dead._

Aphrodite then gave up and sighed as she shook her head to herself, not willing to get angry in front of Elsa. _I can't believe this._

While everyone busied themselves by talking, eating and enjoying their meal, Elsa have been listening to _Leanna_ whom was scolding Anna on bad habit of elbows. She looked at her own elbows before she lowered them off the table. Her eyes looked back up at _Leanna_'s posture as she ate. The way she sat, the way she ate and the way she scolded was too familiar. But Elsa still couldn't remember. She watched Leanna carefully and saw how the woman had her back straight and her shoulders squared. Elsa then thought to herself before she sat straighter and mimicked _Leanna_'s posture. She then looked back up at the woman curiously. She saw how she was holding the fork and eating neatly. Elsa then turned her eyes to look at the fork in front of her. She took it awkwardly in her hand and stared at it. She took a quick peek to see how _Leanna_ was using it before she tried to hold the fork properly with her fingers. After a few attempts, she was successful and her face brightened. Elsa then looked back up on _Leanna_ and waited for the next move.

Though, while Elsa busied herself with her mother, she didn't notice that someone was watching her.

Rapunzel stopped eating and watched Elsa happily as she copied her mother's moves and tried to teach herself the table manners. It was heart-warming to know that Elsa had instinctively chosen her mother as a role model. Unlike her messy sister. _Thank god she decided to learn to eat like her mother and not like her sister. _She looked over at Anna to find the redhead burying herself in her plate. She stifled a giggle as she watched the three royals. The weirdest and funniest royals she ever met. Somehow, she found out that watching Elsa learn new stuff was quite amusing.

Aphrodite on the other hand had no idea that she was being watched by her daughter carefully. She gently impaled a small piece of chicken with the tip of the fork then ate it, chewing with her mouth closed.

Elsa tilted her head at Leanna in wonder before she turned to Anna. Anna was literally smothering her face with any kind of food. Elsa made a small disgust, horrified face before she turned her head to her own plate. No way! She was not going to eat like Anna. Somehow she knew that Anna's manner of _eating_… If that what she could call it, was definitely wrong. The redhead was the opposite of her mother. Leanna was poised and calm while Anna was messy, sloppy and clumsy.

Elsa fidgeted with the fork in her hands before gently-yet still a bit awkwardly since she wasn't used to hold forks- impaled a piece of carrot and brought it to her mouth. Chewing happily as she marveled at the taste of the simple carrot. Aphrodite then took a sip of her drink and Elsa quickly moved to do the same. Her eyes darted around the table before she found a cup in front of her. She took it in her hands. Not caring about what's inside, she moved to drink.

Rapunzel's eyes widened and she quickly moved to stop her as she shouted while lifting her finger, "Elsa! Nonono! That's not water! That's-"

But it was too late. Elsa drank, her face turned red and her eyes widened as she nearly choked before she spat everything from her mouth to shower Kristoff who sat across the table, in front of her with…

"Wine." Rapunzel finished and lowered her finger.

Anna barked out a loud laugh and fell backwards from her seat as she laughed her guts out on the ground.

Everyone looked at Elsa with wide eyes. Some were giggling and some were shocked.

Kristoff quickly wiped his face, "SERIOUSLY, ELSA!?... Water is fine! But not wine!" He said with a squeal as he tried to wipe himself, disgusted.

Aphrodite looked at them with wide eyes before she facepalmed and backed away from Kristoff, grateful that none of the wine went on her.

Aiden and Flynn joined the laugh.

Elsa visibly shuddered and her eyes twitched at the extremely bitter taste of alcohol before she quickly stuffed her mouth with carrots to try and remove the awful taste from her mouth. Now that's what we call bad table manners. When she realized what she has done she gasped and looked at Kristoff with wide eyes, "Oh god! Kristoff, I'm so sorry! Please! I'm… I'm-"

"It's okay, Elsa!" Kristoff quickly said before she could panic. "It's fine, really." He assured as he took a towel from Flynn and glared at the laughing men.

Anna hugged her stomach as she laughed, "Oh my god!... Elsa!... You really love… s-spitting thing!" She turned at Rapunzel, "You're turn next time!" She shouted and pointed at her playfully.

Since Anna, Aiden and Flynn were laughing she didn't feel that Kristoff would hurt her but Elsa slumped herself in her seat and saw how everyone was looking at her with wide eyes and she felt utterly embarrassed. She shrunk in her seat under their gaze and hid her bright red face with her hands, feeling completely humiliated.

"Well!" Anna said as she stood off the ground and stopped her laughs, "I hope you don't do the same to Bulda when we're g-" She was stopped by Aiden's huge hand on her mouth, reminding her that she shouldn't tell Elsa now that they were leaving in a week and that Elsa was to stay at Bulda's.

Anna's eyes widened in realization and she quickly nodded.

Aphrodite eyed them suspiciously. _What are you two hiding?_ She stood, "You two." She pointed at Anna and Aiden, "Come with me." She gestured for them with her finger to come forth.

Anna and Aiden exchanged nervous looks before they gulped and moved to follow her to the corner of the room where no one would hear.

When they arrived at the corner she turned at them and glared, "Speak." She commanded.

Anna and Aiden fidgeted with their fingers nervously before Anna spoke, "Well… Uhm… Tyler gave us a task… Next week."

Aphrodite furrowed her eyebrows, "What _task_ are you talking about?" She questioned as she crossed her arms.

Aiden rubbed the back of his neck, "He said that we are to be sent to Cadonia to steal whatever we can to pay off for the damages that Elsa has caused."

Aphrodite's eyes shot wide, "WHAT?!" She suddenly screamed and the room turned silent when everyone turned to look at them in confusion.

"Y-Yeah… That's what Tyler said." Anna informed.

With a loud groan of anger, Aphrodite turned to Tyler and stomped her way to him, all eyes on her as she moved.

Tyler was drinking happily and never noticed her. She came behind him, grabbed him from the back of his collar and practically dragged him out of the room like a child in front of everyone, ignoring his protests and angry shouts. Oh she's going to have one hell of a conversation with this irritating man.

* * *

"Leave me alone, woman!" Tyler yelled while she dragged him. "I won't allow someone to treat me like this!"

Right when they were out of the dining hall, Aphrodite shoved the man forward so he could stand in front of her.

Almost stumbling to the ground, he quickly steadied himself and turned to glare at her with hate.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" She asked, anger clearly shown on her face.

"Do what!?" Tyler snapped.

"Sending them to Cadonia! Are you crazy!? You're not sending Anna that far away! And they can't even leave Elsa like this!?" She said with wide worried eyes.

Tyler groaned and pointed at her accusingly, "I have enough of you and your daughter! Do you even know how many angry letters I'm getting from the villagers!? They don't want her here! No one wants her here!"

"She didn't do any harm to them!" Aphrodite reasoned.

"Yeah, they're not going to wait for her to freeze them before they decide to get all angry at her." He said sarcastically, "People are hiding in their shacks for goodness' sake! Some of the guild members are no longer sleeping in the sanctuary since she does!" He said angrily, "I don't blame them. No one wants to wake up to find themselves frozen."

"I can't believe this!" Aphrodite said in disbelief at how many people were loathing her daughter.

"Well, you should!" He yelled, "Look at your own hands! If she was able to hurt her own mother what would make us sure that she won't do the same to us!"

"You know better than to say that! You know that when that happened," She removed her glove to show him her bandaged hand, "She was asleep! And her powers were only protecting her!"

Tyler laughed aloud, "You're talking as if her… _Curse!_... is alive." He shook his head amusingly, "Oh dear, dear, my Queen… I never knew that you're so naïve."

Aphrodite sneered at him, "You don't understand anything about her powers! It's a gift!" She poked his chest, irritated.

"And since when 'Gifts' only caused destruction?" He said mockingly as he used his fingers as quotation marks on the word _Gift_.

"She never was like this! She used to have much more control on them! I-I don't know why she can't now!" She tried to argue.

Tyler folded his arms and shook his head, "Ah come on, Your Majesty… People are like toys for children. When a child finds two toys," He held his two fists up to show his point, "One good and well," He shook one fists to show her, "And one suddenly broke and became useless." He shook his other fist. "Now what would a child do with the broken toy?" He asked with an amused, extremely annoying smile.

Aphrodite stared at him in silence as if she was staring at a lunatic.

Tyler smirked, "He throws it away. Just like what you should do."

Aphrodite's eyes widened, "What do you mean?!" She hoped beyond hope that he wasn't actually saying what's he's really saying since she could already feel the heat rushing in her body from the wrath.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk… You already have a well… Yet stupid daughter, Anna," He said as he tried to stifle a laugh and Aphrodite clenched her fists, "You can still have as much as other children as you want. You're still young, My Queen." He said as he caressed her cheek and made her flinch away angrily in disgust, "You can't ruin your reputation. Imagine what it would be like for people to know that The Queen of Arendelle has giving birth to a broken child."

Aphrodite's heart raced.

"Why are you still so attached to her? Just throw her away like any broken toy! You can have another good child instead." Tyler said mockingly, "You don't need a _broken and weak_ daughter like Elsa of yo-" Right before he could continue, he felt a sharp pain right across his cheek as his head was whipped to the side from the slap.

"If you dare say that Elsa is broken one more time, I will burn this fort to the ground right before your own eyes!" Aphrodite shrieked as her fists trembled from rage.

Tyler had his eyes wide. He wiped the blood off of his mouth and glared at her, trying to suppress his own rage, "Forgive me, Your Majesty… I did not mean _Broken_." He said through gritted teeth.

Aphrodite felt a tiny bit relaxed.

"I meant _sick_ and _ill_." He corrected with a smirk and Aphrodite gasped and whipped her hand across his face again but before her hand contacted his cheek, he held her arm firmly and pulled her close so he could whisper in her ear. "Your reckless daughter, Anna _will_ go to Cadonia and pay off the damages that this Elsa of yours has done."

Aphrodite spat in his face and he let go off her to wipe his face and was so close on hitting her square in her face. "Feisty one aren't you." He muttered wickedly.

Aphrodite felt disgusted and couldn't take it anymore. "Anna will stay here with Elsa and I and that's final." She said sternly and turned to leave.

"If she doesn't pay for what this witch has done, you're all out of this fort!" He laughed then gave her a mischievous smirk, "Where are going to go then, Your Majesty? You have nowhere to go! Are you going to go back to your great husband? To that terrible castle? Can you still bare the pain again that he used to give you at night when your daughters slept?!" He said and Aphrodite stopped in her tracks and her face turned horrified in disbelief but she didn't dare turn. _How did he know!? _She thought, disturbed.

When he was successful on grabbing her attention, Tyler's smirk grew, "Oh yes… I know."

Aphrodite felt tears in her wide eyes. _How did he know!? How did he know!? _

"I heard you with Brandon crying to him about it." He sighed mockingly and dramatically, "I know how your husband used to force himself on you so he could have his precious heir and son… Such a tragedy." He informed and folded his hands behind his back, "And the only thing you were able to do was to shut your mouth and close your eyes so you don't wake your precious daughters. How weak of you… Tell me, Queen Aphrodite of Arendelle… Can you bare that pain again?" He said with a wolfish grin.

Aphrodite suddenly felt like she wanted to vomit when her stomach churned. Without turning to look at Tyler, she practically ran her way to her room as tears ran down her cheeks and she placed her hand on her mouth to keep herself from sobbing from all those horrible memories. The pain? Oh yes she remembered it well. She would never forget. The feeling? Even worse. Her husband never cared about the doctor's advice that she shouldn't get pregnant anymore or else they had to face the consequences. Luckily, she never got pregnant and witnessed yet another child being abused.

Tyler watched her go with a satisfied smile before he turned to the dining hall and went inside to eat his peaceful meal and felt victorious.

_I want a son! A strong king for Arendelle!_

Aphrodite gasped when she remembered what her horrible husband used to tell her right before he disgraced her. She wanted to vomit so badly now. She squeezed her hands tighter on her mouth and kept running and running and running. _Go away! Go away! Go away!_ She begged the sounds and images of those atrocious nights to go away but they kept tormenting the poor woman until she suddenly collapsed to the floor and cried her heart out when she couldn't take it anymore. She felt all those old wounds open up all fresh again while she cried alone in the empty dim hallway, her body racking with sorrowful sobs.

And no one would ever realize that The Silenced Queen of Arendelle had her own invisible scars that lined her heart and pride.

* * *

**Review!**

**Elsa and Sven Cover added to my profile.**

****Aiden and Elsa Doodle in my profile! :) Don't forget to see ;)****

**SONG!**

**Aphrodite to Elsa: Broken Angel - Boyce Avenue**

**I won't write a scene of those nights with Aphrodite and Jamie, rest assured. This was only an info to show how horrible the king was-… is.**

**Oh god… *Take a deep breath* Okay good. I feel kind of sad for Aphrodite. But you should have already guessed that the king's cruelty and the craving for a son could drive him to go this far.**

**I know this story is somehow cruel… But we're talking reality! These things really happen these days!**

**Don't ask me how I know.**

**Tsk tsk tsk… Tyler, tyler, tyler… what should I ever do with you.**

**Well… Let's go on happy thoughts. Elsa is learning from her mother like any daughter. I used to watch my mother's every single move. How she ate, how she sat and so on. I guess all women and girls here know what I mean :)**

**It's good to see that Elsa have chosen a role model: Her Mama.**

**Anna! You one messy, messy girl! Hahahah Ah! How much I love Anna's character. Don't we all?**

**Everyone, Duck! Before Elsa could spit on you! Yup… Wine is really bitter and I hate it.**


	34. Food Fight!

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXXII: Food Fight!

Anna kept her eyes on her mother who was dragging Tyler out of the dining hall until they disappeared behind the door. _Well… Looks like she'll set everything up and good for us! _Anna thought happily and relieved to know that her mother could convince Tyler not to send them away on this stupid task.

"Tyler really is in big trouble." Aiden said with a satisfied smile.

"Yeah. I think my mum can cover us up." Anna said, her eyes still on the door where her mother went. She turned to Aiden, "Let's get back to the table… I still want to eat!" Anna basically shouted.

When the two sat back at the table, Rapunzel leaned closer to Anna, "What news do you have?" She whispered, keeping her eyes forward to stare at Elsa who was eating her sandwich quietly.

Anna leaned closer too and whispered back with a smile, keeping her eyes on Elsa too, "My mum will take care of it."

Rapunzel leaned back in her seat and continued eating, "I hope so." She mumbled.

"I was thinking…" Anna started aloud for the whole table to hear, grabbing their attention. "When am I going to start with Elsa?" She asked and ate a piece of meatloaf.

"Hmm… Well tomorrow's Zoey's turn." Rapunzel informed, "She's really eager to play with Elsa. We'll just take them to play in woods and let Elsa get some fresh air. She's been in this fort long enough."

A few minutes passed and Aphrodite and Tyler didn't come back. Brandon sat in his seat while tapping his fingers on the wood in a steady rhythm, feeling worried. He was suddenly brought back from his thoughts when Tyler suddenly appeared with a smirk, sat in his own seat and continued drinking. Brandon eyed him suspiciously, "Where's Aphrodite?" He whispered so no one could hear but Tyler.

Tyler's smirk grew, "Oh she's just probably trying to find a medicine for herself." He deadpanned and chuckled a bit.

Brandon watched him skeptically with a frown, "What did you do, _old_ man?!" He asked with a warning tone and he made sure to say the word _Old_ clearly.

Tyler only shrugged as if he was innocent and went back to his drink, ignoring Brandon's glare.

Brandon quickly stood and went to search for Aphrodite and to find out what might have happened.

Tyler watched him go with a wide proud smile before he stood and went off to his own room.

While Anna and Rapunzel were talking about taking Elsa out for some air, Kristoff was busy cutting a stubborn, sloppy and sauce-covered piece of meat. Tucking his tongue out at the corner of his mouth in concentration.

Elsa on the other hand was chewing on her sandwich when her eyes widened in amazement at what she saw on the table. She placed the sandwich down and leaned forward and got herself very close to see a tiny ant struggling to hold the tiniest scarp of bread. Elsa's eyebrows rose and she made an 'Ouh' with her mouth. She never knew that creatures like this even existed. It was the smallest living thing that Elsa has ever seen. She watched it in awe and curiosity. Strangely, she was able to see every detail of this ant since her vision was extremely strong. She saw the tiny legs that moved so fast just to run away with this tiny scrap. She tilted her head and rested her cheek on the table while watching the ant happily. "Olaf…" She whispered and pet-named the ant. Elsa's eyebrows suddenly furrowed and she lifted her head off the table when tiny stains of food were suddenly splattering around the surface of the wood, since the thieves were eating like barbarians. Elsa saw a stain that landed right in front of Olaf and nearly squished him. She gasped, forgot about her own meal and cupped her hands around Olaf to protect him from any harm, then frowned at Anna and the thieves.

"What's taking my mum so long?" Anna asked while eating, not noticing what Elsa was busy doing.

Everyone shrugged their shoulders and continued with their meal.

Kristoff was having a war with his piece of meat now. He was using much more power to cut this stupid piece of meat. The man just wanted to eat for god's sake!

Suddenly, his hand slipped when the meat was finally cut in two. One side of the meat stayed on the plate while the other sloppy and juicy one, went flying all the way until…

"Do you think we should go check on my mu-" Anna was cut off when Kristoff's meat hit her square in the chest. Every single person looked towards her with wide eyes, except for Elsa who was busy protecting Olaf. Anna's hands were raised and her mouth was open as she looked at the huge messy stain on her chest in shock. Anna then stayed like that, frozen, for what seemed like forever and everyone waited for her reaction. Her face suddenly grew evil and her mouth drew a wolfish grin until she lifted her eyes to stare at Kristoff.

"Oh… It's on." She said darkly and smashed her fork on the table, pinning it in the wood.

Kristoff gulped nervously and waited to be punished.

Anna quickly grabbed a piece of her own sloppy meal and threw it at Kristoff.

Kristoff's eyes widened when he saw it coming and he quickly ducked, avoiding the attack. "HA!" He shouted in victory and pointed at her.

Though, Anna's attack continued forward until it hit a guild member right in the face. The room was still silent, all eyes on Anna, Kristoff and the now-stained guild member.

The man wiped his face from the stain to reveal an evil smile too.

Anna smiled awkwardly and then laughed nervously, "Haha… Oops?"

The man stood, cupped some Potato Puree, held his hand high and threw it at Anna.

Anna gasped and quickly dodged the attack and the potato went flying and hit a woman behind Anna, at the back of her head.

Anna suddenly stood and screamed with a raised fist, "Food Fiiiiiight!"

The room erupted into chaos as every single person started throwing food at each other while either yelling, cursing, laughing or throwing threats. Food went flying from side to side and every person became stained with food in multiple tastes and colors.

Elsa looked up from her hands and stared in confusion at everyone, not knowing why they were all suddenly throwing food. She saw a food coming towards her and she quickly dodged it with a worried and shocked face. She looked back down at Olaf and she knew that she had to protect him now, since every person in the dining hall was trying to kill her Olaf!

Anna smirked while being covered in stains of food from head to toe and threw a meat ball at Rapunzel. The poor blonde didn't see it coming and it hit her square in the face.

Rapunzel wiped her eyes and grabbed a whole bowl of pie, "Come here, Anna!"

Anna gasped with a wide smile and started to run.

Kristoff and Flynn were having their own personal combat with… Fish!

Elsa darted her head as fast as she could, trying to dodge as much food as she could. _Get on! Get on! Get on! _She begged Olaf to walk up on her hand while slightly hopping in her seat urgently, forgetting for the first time that her gloved hands were _treacherous_. Lucky to her, the oblivious ant climbed up on her finger. Elsa smiled and moved to go somewhere safe. But right when she turned, she was met by Anna who had a wide smirk, holding a green stuff in her hand while throwing it slightly up and down in the air.

Anna's hair had food sticking in and out of it and her clothes were stained with different colors.

Elsa gasped and she knew what was in Anna's hands. She shook her head, pleading for Anna not to do it and started to back away, hiding her hands behind her back so that Anna wouldn't hurt Olaf by accident.

Anna advanced on Elsa slowly while playing with the green thing in her hand, "Whatcha got there behind your back, Elsa?" She asked with a playful wicked voice.

Elsa smiled nervously and awkwardly back, "N-Nothing." She said innocently while backing away.

"Some food you wanna hit me with?" Anna asked again with a raised eyebrow.

Elsa shook her head and her eyes looked from right to left then to Anna, "Nope…?"

Anna's face turned playfully dark. She laughed evilly and held her hand up with the green stuff, "HAHA! SMASHED BROCCOLI!" She shouted and threw the broccoli sauce at Elsa's face.

Elsa raised one arm to block the attack but most of the broccoli smashed her face and neck. She quickly wiped her face and felt that she wanted to gag from the broccoli she really hated. She ignored the disgusting taste and turned to run away, trying her best to hide Olaf from harm but-

Aiden suddenly stood at the table holding a huge watermelon. "WATERMELON BOOOOMB!" He shouted excitedly.

Everyone's heart stopped and knew what was coming.

Elsa and Anna gasped. Anna with a wide excited smile and Elsa with a worried face. "Oh no…" Elsa mumbled to herself, winced and closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

Aiden threw the watermelon at the ground and…

_SQUASH!_

It exploded, sending red and green bits around a three meter radius, staining and showering everyone with watermelon pieces.

Elsa and Anna were now covered with watermelon all over their body. Luckily to Elsa, since her hands were still behind her back, Olaf wasn't harmed… Yet. Elsa shook her head to remove the watermelon off her face and she started running for safety again. She quickly brought her hands up in front of her face to see if Olaf was okay and her face drew a relieved smile when she saw that the still-oblivious ant was only running randomly on her hand, still holding that stupid scrap of bread.

"Come back, Elsie!" Anna shouted as she laughed, holding yet another piece of smashed broccoli.

Elsa looked back and saw Anna. Her eyes grew wide again and she tried to run as fast as she could, starting to laugh a bit.

Anna was laughing gleefully as she ran, not noticing the food underneath her that could cause her to slip at any second. "You need to stay healthy and eat brocolliiii – WOAAAHH!" A fish suddenly landed in front of her feet and she went slipping and sliding on it fast, all the way towards Elsa, running into people as she did on her way to the platinum blonde.

Elsa stopped in her tracks when she felt safe and smiled proudly at Olaf, but didn't realize what was happening right behind her.

Anna smashed into Rapunzel on the way, into another woman and another man and finally everyone was slipping towards Elsa.

"ELSA, MOVE AWAY!" Anna and everyone in the hall shouted in unison.

Elsa looked up in confusion on why everyone were calling her and she turned to Anna's voice then gasped in horror. Before she could process what was about to happen, her vision flashed white and she felt a wave of pain on the impact. "OOF!" Elsa was squished by Anna and the others, and everyone went to the floor on top of Elsa.

Everyone else in the hall stopped what they were doing and gasped aloud before the room turned deathly silent. Some still had their hands up, holding food, and others on the ground were buried in it. As for what they were thinking, some knew they were about to face The Ice Princess's wrath, and some were feeling utterly worried for her like Aiden, Flynn and Kristoff.

The only thing heard were Anna, Rapunzel's - and the others that squished Elsa with them- grunts and groans of pain and dizziness.

"Ughh…" Anna muttered as she tried to make sense of her world while rubbing her forehead. "What… happened?"

Elsa on the other hand had all of her lower body- middle back and downwards- squished by Anna's body on top of her… And Rapunzel's… And the other two guild members. Her upper body was luckily out and she was able to breathe at least. Her hands and arms were stretch in front of her. Elsa opened her eyes groggily and felt a huge headache and minor pain overwhelming her body. She shook the dizziness away and looked up at her hands and saw him. The tiny Olaf was slowly climbing down from her hand with the scrap of bread and then he went on his way. "Phew…!" Elsa breathed and smiled weakly and felt utterly relieved and happy at her accomplishment, still not caring that she was squished.

Aiden, Flynn, Kristoff and other members quickly ran to help them all up and to check if they were okay.

Anna's eyes shot wide with horror when she finally realized what happened. "Oh my god! Elsa!" She screamed and quickly stood up with the help of Kristoff, before she practically shoved everyone off of Elsa. She gasp when she saw her laying on the ground and on her stomach, but what worried her more that Elsa was smiling and she supposed that the woman has lost her mind!

"Elsa, Elsa! Are you okay!?" Anna quickly knelt beside her and helped her up in a sitting position from her well arm. "Is your left arm okay!? Are you in pain!? Your wounds?! Your stomach?!" She showered Elsa with concerned question while helping her up and didn't give her time to answer, feeling that her heart was about to burst out from worry.

Rapunzel knelt on the other side of Elsa with an extremely worried face.

They were all now covered in food and Elsa's platinum hair was tinted a bit red from the watermelon. Elsa slowly sat up and turned to Anna, panting a bit. "Olaf…" She suddenly breathed and gave Anna a weak smile from her tired face.

Although the name was familiar to Anna, she was clearly confused. "Eh… What?" She asked and now she was really worried.

Anna exchanged concerned looks with everyone since they got all confirmed that Elsa really did lose her mind. _Ohhhh nononono! She lost her mind! What am I gonna do?! _Anna thought and search Elsa's head for any injuries but luckily she found none.

Elsa turned to look behind her and turned Anna's face too so she could show her, "Look!" She told her while pointing at the ground, "Olaf!" She said again with a cute voice.

Anna and everyone had to squint their eyes and lean very close so they could see what Elsa was pointing at. And when they did, Anna suddenly started to laugh uncontrollably. Everyone were unsure if they had to laugh but they followed anyway.

"You have got to be kidding me." Aiden said and laughed at how much Elsa was really kind and sweet even to the tiniest creatures. _Of all animals she could have chosen as pets… An ant!? _He thought to himself.

Anna shook her head in amusement, "I can't believe you were busy hiding this ant from harm." She then giggled a bit since Elsa gave the ant a male name and knew that Elsa probably didn't know that all worker ants were female.

Elsa blushed and smiled unsurely and shyly.

Rapunzel turned to the guild members and gave them a 'And you guys still say that she wants to harm us.' look.

A lot of the guild members were now having second thoughts for Elsa. Maybe The Ice Princess wasn't that harmful after all. Was she really innocent like what Anna and Rapunzel said? They smiled sympathetically and happily at her, feeling apologetic.

Anna giggled and felt utterly relieved that Elsa was okay. "Come here, you!" Anna said fondly before she leaned and wrapped Elsa's shoulders in a hug, "Ah!" But Elsa suddenly cried out in pain and hunched forward on the contact.

Everyone's eyes widened and turned worried all over again.

Anna turned horrified and quickly let go of Elsa to see what happened, "Elsa!... Elsa! W-What's wrong?!" She asked in utter concern and saw how Elsa was clutching her left shoulder, her eyes squeezed shut and her teeth gritted as she hissed in pain.

_Oh no…_ Anna thought, scared. _Not her shoulder!_ She quickly moved to remove Elsa's hand off of her shoulder but the moment she touched her, Elsa's eyes shot open, "NO!" She quickly whimpered away, crawling back from whoever just caused her this sudden pain, her hand still squeezing her shoulder. Her eyes darted incredibly fast on everyone, trying to determine the one responsible for her agony. Why was there pain?! Where did it come from?! Who did this?! Her father? Mad? A man? A woman? Rapunzel? Kristoff?... Anna?!

Anna placed a shocked hand on her mouth as she watched Elsa's fearful face. Everyone felt concerned for the princess who looked utterly terrified.

"Elsa… Just calm down! No one has hurt you… It was just from the accident when we fell!" Anna assured and started approaching the panicking princess, holding her hands up to motion for her to stay calm.

Elsa shook her head when Anna started to approach, "A-Anna… No…" She held her hand up, begging her not to approach, "P-Pain!... Pain, Anna! Pain!" Elsa cried and squeezed her hand more on her shoulder, bringing her legs to her chest.

"I know, I know…!" Anna said with a remorseful and sad face. _Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Why did I run like that!? Why am I so clumsy!? WHY THE HELL DID I EVEN START THIS STINKING FOOD FIGHT!?_ She already knew-since it was obvious- that Elsa thought that one of them has hurt her and she couldn't feel any guiltier. "I-It's alright." Anna assured with a gentle voice before she hid one hand behind her back so she could motion for the others to back away a bit without Elsa knowing.

They all understood and Rapunzel nodded, baking away with everyone a bit and giving Elsa and Anna some space.

"I just need to see it." When Anna was close enough to Elsa, the princess was watching her fearfully and carefully. Anna knelt and gave her a worried look, "Can I see it, Elsa?" She asked while she held her hands in front of Elsa's shoulder, making her understand that she wanted her to remove her hand off but Elsa kept staring with wide eyes and breathing fast.

Anna swallowed then carefully and gingerly removed and guided Elsa's hand off her shoulder so she could check on her. Elsa hissed again in pain and shut her eyes. "It's okay." Anna assured with a worried and apologetic face. She slowly slid the dress off of Elsa's shoulder to reveal a large and hideous bruise. Most of them gasped in horror. As if the poor woman needed any more broken bones!? Anna quickly looked up at Flynn with a fearful and concerned face, and he knew what he was supposed to do.

A lot of members scurried out in different directions, going to call for any healer. Flynn went directly to search for one person who could really help Elsa: Her mother, Aphrodite.

* * *

Brandon was striding and mostly running in every silent hallway and every dim room, trying to find Aphrodite. His footsteps echoed in the sanctuary since everyone were at the dining hall. When he didn't find her in her own room, his mind erupted in chaos of worries. _Where the hell are you!? _He thought as he ran, concern clearly painting his face. Then he stopped in his tracks. His ears perked up and he listened carefully in the silent hallway. He heard them: Soft sobs of despair. _Aphrodite?! _He quickly started to run, following the sounds of those sorrowful sobs that made his heart beat faster. He turned on a corner and finally found her.

She was huddled on the ground as she buried her head in her arms, her legs brought to her chest and her hood was down.

"Aphrodite…" He whispered urgently and quickly sprinted towards her and felt his heart sink inside him. He knelt right next to her but she still seemed not to notice him.

He touched her shoulder so he could bring her to attention but she suddenly recoiled back, "NO! Please, no!" She cried, screaming at her invisible husband.

Brandon leaned back in shock, horrified. "Hey! It's just me…" He soothed gently, "Brandon." He said reassuringly.

Aphrodite looked at him while keeping her hands to her chest, tears staining her entire face and her eyes were bloodshot and tired and Brandon was now feeling much worse.

"What's wrong, Aphrodite?" He asked worriedly and sat next to her. He could already see her visibly trembling.

She only shook her head slowly at herself and lowered it again, feeling utterly ashamed and she went back to her cries without giving him an answer.

Brandon's face grew sad and he wrapped his arms around her slender form, trying to sooth her by drawing circles on her back.

She buried her face in his chest, clutched his vest as if she was holding for dear life and wailed and wailed and wailed loudly and couldn't stop her racking body. "He knows!" She cried out loud.

Brandon's eyebrows furrowed and he tightened his hug, "Who?" He asked confused.

"TYLER!... Tyler knows, Brandon!... Tyler knows!" She couldn't take it anymore and her body was overwhelmed with sorrows that she couldn't control her cries at all. "He knows my secret! He knows my shame! He knows that I have no honor! No dignity!" She screamed before she let out a loud sob and started wailing again.

Brandon was literally fuming on the inside. _Tyler…_ He snarled in his head as he gritted his teeth tightly. He didn't want her to say it. He already knew what she meant and he wanted to burn both the bastard king and Tyler on a pole. No one ever saw the queen's vulnerable and injured side but him. He would _kill_ whoever would dare harm her and he sure as hell knew it.

"I should have stopped Jamie, Brandon!... I-I should have told someone! I should have… S-Screamed! It's all my fault! None of this would have happened to me!" Aphrodite muffled in his chest and stained his vest with heavy tears of anguish.

Brandon turned determined, "No, Aphrodite!" His voice came out strict yet gentle, "This didn't happen because of anything you did wrong! It happened because a very _SICK_ and insane bastard made a terrible decision to do this to you. You never deserved it and it's NOT your fault!" He quickly broke the hug and lifted her chin up so he could look at those teary, bloodshot green eyes that tortured his soul but she kept her eyes downwards, feeling overwhelmed with shame.

"Look at me, Aphrodite." He said gently with a softened face.

Aphrodite closed her eyes for a moment before she opened them and looked up to see Brandon's soothing brown ones.

"Now you listen to me… I know that I can't understand what you've been through, but I care about you deeply, and you are not alone anymore. I'll be here for you whenever you wanna talk to someone. Jamie is one. Fucking. Pig! And there's no doubt in it. And it _wasn't_ your fault." He said a bit determinedly.

"I was weak." She whispered with a weak voice full of grief, feeling humiliated.

Brandon exhaled from his nose loudly, cupped her cheeks and looked right into her eyes, "_You_... Are one hell of a brave woman. And Anna agrees to that too. The strongest I've ever met actually. What you did for your daughters is the description of courage itself! You would have sacrificed yourself for them and you sure know how hell that's true. You are The Great Queen of Arendelle who stood up to a malicious man to protect her own daughters and kingdom!" His voice started to turn happy so he could cheer her, "You have learned the healing skills so you could stay ready for your daughters and help them whenever they needed you! You saved Elsa not _once_… but a lot of times when she was little and right when she was back to you, you kept saving her from situations." He chuckled a bit, "You are one crazy woman sometimes, I can tell you that." He said and felt himself beaming with pride when she smiled weakly. He glared at her playfully, "Where is this stern Leanna whom everyone would shiver and bow at her sight!?" He asked playfully and she actually chuckled slightly at that and started wiping her own tears. "Where's this magnificent healer who has saved so many people's lives? Who decided to be strong for her daughters! Who would smash a chair at someone if he dares say a word about her daughters?" He asked and reminded her of what she did before to Tyler and she actually really laughed a bit this time. He held his hands defensively, "I'm not saying that you should let _Momma Bear_ at everyone, though." He joked and she glared at him playfully and punched his chest.

"Awh come on!" He threw his hands in the air in playful exasperation, "I've seen _Momma Bear_ and I'm telling you… She. Terrifies. me! Would even scare any man away, I vow on that."

Aphrodite's smile fell again and she looked away from him, "I know a man she couldn't scare… A man who ruined her children's life and she couldn't do anything about it." She said sadly and closed her eyes, "I couldn't protect my daughters enough, Brandon... I tried but it wasn't enough!" She said angrily at herself and punched the ground in irritation.

Brandon shook his head, "Jamie is no man, Aphrodite… He's a living heartless beast!" He said, determined. Sometime, he really wondered how she even met this immoral creature.

She sighed heavily and rested her forehead on her knees while Brandon sat next to her, watching her sympathetically.

They sat in silence for about five minutes listening to nothing in the empty, dim hallways before Aphrodite finally spoke, "He's sending her away again." She elusively said and made him turn confused.

"Who?" He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

She lifted her head to look at him with a tired face that has held so many stress, depression and anxiety over all these years. "Anna… Tyler is sending her away to Cadonia, Brandon." She said and felt new tears form in her eyes.

"Cadonia?! But that's far away! And there's still Elsa and-"

"I k-know!" She said with a voice that quivered in desperation. She sighed, "I know." She lowered her head again. "Tyler wants Anna to pay for the damages that Elsa has done."

"What?!" Brandon exclaimed at Tyler's irrational reason.

Aphrodite nodded in confirmation, "When I refused to send Anna on that stupid task of his, he-…" She trailed off and remembered what Tyler told her. "He threatened to kick me out with my daughters, Brandon." She buried her face in her hands, "He knows that I have no place to go!... He started reminding me of that pain again! He said that I will have no choice but to return to… T-The castle! To… _Him_! I-I can't watch my daughter in pain again, Brandon! I can't! I CAN'T! Oh god, I can't!" She started crying again and he quickly wrapped his hands around her shoulders again and scooted closer.

Brandon's eyes widened as her words sink in, "Wait." He turned to her with furrowed eyebrows, "Tyler… Said that to you?!" He asked and she could already sense the fury inside his voice.

"N-No… Nevermind." She tried to lie, not wanting any trouble or a fight.

Brandon gripped her shoulders firmly, feeling his rage uncontrollable, "_HE_ said that to you!?" He yelled and finally realized that it was Tyler's fault that Aphrodite was crying.

Aphrodite never saw this side of Brandon. Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, not knowing the real reason why he was so enraged at Tyler. She sighed regretfully, then, "Yes." She breathed.

Brandon suddenly shot up to his feet and helped Aphrodite up. "I have to go now." He said quickly and turned to leave but she held his arm and stared at him with a shocked, confused and worried face.

"Where are you going?!" She asked and felt how hot his arm was since he was definitely holding his rage inside him.

He opened his mouth to answer but they were suddenly brought to attention by a shout.

"Leanna!" A woman called, her voice far and faint and Aphrodite felt a knot in her stomach since she could already hear the extreme worry in the woman's voice.

"Leanna!" Aphrodite heard it again and the voice was very close this time before the woman suddenly appeared around a corner and when she saw _Leanna, _she sighed in relief and quickly ran to her.

Aphrodite's eyes were wide, "What is it?! What's wrong?!... And why the hell are you covered in food?!"

The woman stopped and rested her hands on her knees as she panted and tried to catch her breath, "That doesn't matter now… It's… It's… The princess." She managed to say as she sweated.

Aphrodite's heart stopped and she grabbed the woman's shoulder and shook her, "WHAT?! What's wrong with Elsa?! Where is she?! Is she okay?!" She asked with desperate shouts.

The woman stared at her with concerned eyes. She gulped, then, "She's hurt."

The moment the word _Hurt_ left the woman's mouth, Aphrodite grabbed Brandon by his arm and dashed through the hallways not even waiting for the woman to tell her where Elsa was. She was going to search the entire fort if she had to. But before she could continue, Brandon suddenly stopped her, "I can't go with you… I have something that I need to do." He quickly said, his frown was still on his face.

"What?! But Elsa's in trouble?!" She replied in surprise.

"And you are the only one who could help her!" He told her, honestly.

"Brandon! L-Leanna!" Flynn's voice suddenly called.

"Flynn!" Aphrodite exclaimed, "Where's Elsa!? What happened!?" And she was also shocked to see Flynn covered in more food but she didn't dwell about the idea. Something happened to Elsa and she had to hurry to her as fast as she could. The whole world wasn't important to her now. She just wanted her daughters to be safe.

"Thank God I found you!" Flynn said as he panted, "Come on! No time to explain! We need you!" He said and Aphrodite quickly nodded before they all started to follow Flynn.

Flynn stopped before he could lead the panicking mother to her daughter. Brandon held his arm firmly, "You go! I… Have someone to meet." Brandon said with a sneer.

Flynn was confused but he didn't think about it. He nodded and quickly continued his way.

Brandon saw them all go before he turned with a face full with wrath and started stomping the other way. _Tyler, you son of a bitch… _Ohhhh, he knew his rage was uncontrollable and he was going to use that to his advantage.

* * *

Tyler sat on his desk, reading a parchment of the fort's profits as he drank down some wine. _And they say that The Stern Leanna is unbreakable. _He thought to himself and scoffed, feeling proud that he was able to make Aphrodite crumble. _Who does she think she is… _

_DASH!_

"TYLER, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Brandon stormed inside Tyler's room, sending the man off his chair and to the ground in shock and surprise.

"What the hell!?" Tyler screamed in surprise as he tried to regain himself up but he was suddenly pinned to the ground with an amazing strength.

"What did you tell her you piece of shit, huh?! What did you tell her?!" He said as he shook the man from his vest aggressively.

Tyler smirked, his vest all covered in wine from when he fell, "I see that you've met with the queen along the way?"

Brandon groaned in rage and punched him hard on his face, "How dare you say something like that to her?! Have you no honor?! She's been victimized and you fucking used that against her you… you… AAAhh!" He screamed in rage and started punching him again and again.

Tyler shoved him off of him, using his feet and punched him back, making him stager backwards. "Even if she's a bitch of a queen, she can't tell me how to lead my guild!" Tyler spat as he wiped his bloody nose.

Brandon ran at him again and pinned him to the wall, quickly holding a dagger to his throat. "She's not making you do anything! She just wants to keep her daughters away from harm, you piece of shit! Send anyone else to Cadonia! Why Anna?!"

Tyler tried to struggle but Brandon squeezed his dagger closer and that made him stand still, "Because she's the one who brought that witch here!" He suddenly received another punch from Brandon.

"Dare say that Elsa's a witch and I will rip your tongue out and feed it to you!" Brandon threatened.

Tyler rolled his eyes, "Listen to me, Dog! This entire royal family is nothing but trouble! I know she's Robin's sister… But Robin is dead!" He spat.

Brandon's eyes widened and he punched him hard again in his stomach, "She has saved your precious thieves' lives many times, asshole! You should bow and kiss her feet for what she did to you! Be grateful, Bastard!" He yelled in his face and Tyler coughed out blood from his mouth.

"I never said that I wanted her help! I had my own healers but you had to shove her in here and let her live with us all!" Tyler snarled back.

Brandon stood in disbelief at this man's greediness, "Ungrateful, bastard…" Brandon whispered and pressed the dagger to Tyler's cheek, "If you dare hurt _her_ again… If you dare hurt _any_ of them again, you will have to deal with me and I swear to you Tyler… I _swear_ to you on heaven and earth that you _will_ burn on your own fire if you did." He vowed.

Tyler let out a laugh, "I will tell you just what I told her… Anna _will_ go to Cadonia and pay for the damages that… _Thing_ has done."

Brandon held his fist up again but he was cut off by another laugh from Tyler, "Why do you care so much?!"

Brandon was taking aback by this and he stuttered before he sneered again, "Because she's Robin's sister if I recall."

Tyler shook his head while blood came down from his mouth, "Oh, I see…" He said unconvinced. "Fuck you. Fuck her. Fuck these lunatics who brought her sick daughter here." He shoved Brandon off of him and wiped his face with his sleeve and straightened his vest. "You have no money to repair the damages… Nor her! If Anna doesn't pay me, you're all out of here." He started nodding, "You'll see…" He said pointing at him, "You'll _all_ see how dangerous this _Elsa_ is. And I will tell you again just what I told your bitch of a queen. I swear to you, Brandon!… Someday, that Queen and Anna will realize all of this and will be the first two to lock her up… before they freeze to death."

* * *

**Review and stay tuned for more!**


	35. Secrets

**IMPORTANT NOTE!**

**I have decided to change rating back to T cause i find my story very misplaced between all those Elsanna smut and sex stories. XD**

**Whenever i get a new reader he first send me a pm asking me if there will be smut and sex between Elsa and Anna and WTF! Hahahah They are sisters people! I'm still an innocent minded, ya know XD (Even though i'm 21)... Blame Animal Planet.**

**Simply NO.**

**If you people want sex so desperately, Just go read Fifty Shades of Grey! XD You will have your eyes pop out from the first chappy!**

**I know there's violence. But I don't see them that horrifying for teens. Or because i love to watch horror movies... I'm pretty sure that our teens had secretly seen much more worse than that hahah I have many cousins who does that. LOL We've all watched horror movies and i bet you all have seen much more worse than that gore. And besides there won't be any worse than the previous scenes.**

**Anyway i'm telling this for the GUEST readers. okito? I won't change the rating right away. I'll wait for a day or two :)**

**Okay. Enough of that. Enjoy.**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXXIII: Secrets

Aphrodite followed Flynn as fast as she could. _Please be okay! Please be okay!_ She hoped while she ran. When they turned around a corner, she realized that they were headed to Elsa's room, and when she saw the large crowd at the bedroom door and the healers coming in and out, her stomach turned to knots and she knew that thing were really bad. When they arrived she gave everybody a confused and shocked look since every single person was covered in food.

Before she could rush in without thinking, Flynn held her from her arm. "What!?" She snapped at him, adrenaline rushing in her veins.

Flynn winced at her tone, but he understood that the poor woman was only scared for her daughter. "Hood." He said and pointed at her head.

Her eyes widened and she quickly put on the hood and smiled apologetically at Flynn. "Right… Sorry." She said and quickly started pushing everyone away so she could get inside.

Flynn was taking aback since she never… EVER smiled at him or even apologized. _That's new… _He thought while following her into the room. _Looks like Elsa did give a change in this fort._

They entered the room to find Elsa laying on the bed in pain and Anna at her side, stroking the platinum hair so she could calm her. Healer stood in the room just staring at Elsa in worry and not doing anything. Anna lifted her head and her face turned utterly relieved when she saw her mother, "Mum!"

"Anna!... What happened!? And-" Aphrodite said as she approached the bed but stopped mid-sentence, "Seriously, why the hell are you all covered in food!?" She yelled while looking at Anna, Elsa, Rapunzel and the others, but before she could continue on them, she turned to the healers with an angry face, "And what is the meaning of this?! You should have helped Elsa already!" She snarled at them.

The healers cowered under her majestic voice, "L-Leanna… We couldn't! S-She wouldn't let anyone of us approach her!" One of the healers defended while pointing at Elsa.

Aphrodite's face turned worried again. She turned to Elsa and approach her slowly.

Elsa eyed her warily and felt very tensed while still clutching her pained shoulder.

"I-It's her shoulder!" Anna said nervously, "W-We… Were having… A… Food fight?" Anna said awkwardly as she winced and cowered, feeling utterly guilty and knew she was about to unleash her mother's wrath.

Aphrodite sat at the side of the bed and everyone were surprised since Elsa did look at her fearfully but she allowed her to approach _and_ sit next to her easily.

Aphrodite saw Elsa's hand on her shoulder and she couldn't see anything of how bad the injury was. She turned her head, dumbfounded in silence at Anna. "Food fight." Aphrodite flatly said in disbelief.

Anna laughed awkwardly a bit, "Y-Yeah…" She groaned in frustration and threw her hands in the air in exasperation, "Look! We were just eating and all of a sudden I was covered in meat that Kristoff threw at me and-"

"So Kristoff started this!?" Aphrodite yelled angrily and Kristoff hid behind Rapunzel.

"NO! Nononono! It was me! I-I think it was just an accident! And yet…" She suddenly started waving her hands and started rambling really fast without even taking a breath, "I threw food at him and it ended up hitting Jack then Jack tried to throw food at me but it ended up hitting Maya and we all started a food fight, throwing food around and then Aiden threw a watermelon and Elsa tried to run away from me as I stuffed her face with broccoli and then I tried to follow her but I slipped on a fish and smashed into Rapunzel and some other people along the way and we all ended up on top of Elsa. PHEEEEW!" She inhaled loudly and shrunk in her seat under her mother's wide and shocked eyes.

Aphrodite's eye twitched as she stared with wide eyes and a mouth agape at her younger daughter. Everyone in the room gulped and started backing away, knowing that this wouldn't end up without facing her wrath.

Aphrodite took every fiber of her willpower not to explode from rage. She closed her eyes and clenched her fists, trying to calm herself down and counted to ten in her mind.

Anna gulped seeing her like that and Elsa watched her in confusion.

Aphrodite finally opened her eyes and glared at her daughter, "You." She pointed at Anna, "Are in a _very_ big trouble, young lady." She said through gritted teeth, "You too!" She said, still looking at Anna but knew that the Rapunzel, Kristoff and the other thieves were tiptoeing their way out without her knowing. Yet clearly she noticed them. "You are all to go wash yourselves and wait for me outside without a word." She turned to the door way so she could look at the other guild members with the most intimidating face, "All of you!" She yelled pointing at them all.

Everyone outside ran randomly like panicking chickens, bumping into each other along the way, so they could oblige her command.

She turned to Elsa and her face softened, "It's alright. I just need to see it first." She told her with a gentle voice and a soft smile.

Elsa wasn't sure if she should have been scared or comforted but she slowly nodded.

Aphrodite's face turned stern again, "Everyone get out, right now." She told everyone in the room and they all quickly scurried off. "Leave your kit." She told the healers and they obligated.

Anna didn't want to leave Elsa, so she crossed her arms and sat stubbornly on her seat, "I'm staying here." She said with a childish angry pout.

Aphrodite glared at her and crossed her arms too, "Get out… and I'll will be talking to all of you after I'm finished with Elsa for all the food your reckless behaviors have wasted." She warned.

Anna's head-strong personality challenged her mother's stare with her own. After ten seconds of silence, Anna had it and her face turned afraid. "Okay, okay, okay!" She quickly got up to run away from her mother's intimidating face, "Elsa, my mum will help you, okay? Don't worry I'll be just outside." She reassured her and actually received a nod from Elsa that wasn't so hesitant.

After everyone was out, Anna gave the two a smile and closed the door behind her, leaving a mother and a daughter aware of each other's presence.

Aphrodite took a deep and shaky breath before she turned to Elsa. "It's okay... I uh... Just need to see if it's broken." She informed and moved to remove Elsa's hand off her shoulder with the most delicate touch.

Elsa watched her every move carefully.

Aphrodite removed Elsa's hand and slid the dress then winced at the sight. Elsa's shoulder had a purple-red color and was swollen. _Pull yourself together… Don't break in front of her!_ Aphrodite encouraged herself since she wanted to gasp or cry or do anything to relieve her bottled up worried and sorrowful emotions for her daughter. "We need to remove your dirty dress now so I can get a better look." She informed and Elsa nodded again, not saying any word… or not daring to, since she clearly saw how everyone was afraid of the woman in front of her. But why? The woman didn't seem that intimidating at all. She was gentle and very calm to her, save for the past and first encounter.

Aphrodite then helped her remove her dirty and stained dress off, revealing the cuts, scars and bandages exposed for Aphrodite to be mocked with. Elsa almost had her entire body covered in bandages. Her torso was covered by bandages for her damaged back and the burned wound on her stomach, so did her right thigh and her left leg, and of course her left broken arm. _Mocking_ was an understatement for Aphrodite. Those bandages were _healing_ her daughter but were _tormenting_ the queen.

"Can you move it?" Aphrodite asked.

Elsa tried to moved her shoulder a bit but she winced and quickly stopped.

"Too painful?" Aphrodite asked worriedly.

Elsa nodded in approval as she tried to forget the burning pain. Something she's been doing for fifteen years.

The mother took a deep breath before she leaned closer to Elsa and held her hands in front of her daughter's shoulder, "I need to sense if there's any broken bones… You might feel a bit of pain, alright dear?" She asked softly.

Elsa bit her lip worriedly and squeezed her hands shut before she hesitantly nodded.

Aphrodite placed her hands at the swollen shoulder to try and examine or feel if it was broken.

Elsa squeezed her eyes shut and tried to stifle a yelp, but failed.

"It's alright, it's alright!… You're a strong girl. You can do it. Just give me two more minutes." Aphrodite encouraged with a sympathetic and apologetic smile but Elsa was gritting her teeth hard.

Aphrodite removed her hands with a sympathetic look and turned to grab a rolled piece of cloth from her medical kit. "Here… I need you to bite on this. I need to squeeze a bit so I can determine where the fracture is." She held her hand up with the piece of cloth.

Elsa was burning worries inside her. More Pain? Why was the latter following her everywhere?! She stared at the piece of cloth in the woman's hand before she hesitantly took it and did as she was told, biting down on it.

Aphrodite needed her own piece of cloth to try and wipe away her tears before they even formed. Luckily, she had her sleeve. She placed her hands on Elsa's shoulder again, "Okay… Are you ready? I swear I'll try my best not to make it hurt much." She promised and Elsa quickly nodded in approval, wanting for all this to end already.

Aphrodite then had to squeeze her fingers on Elsa's swollen shoulder and Elsa entire body sweated and stiffened as she hunched forward, gripped the bed sheets hard and was grateful for the piece of cloth in her mouth since she was biting on it really hard, letting out muffled yelps and cries and squeezing her eyes shut. _Oh God! oh God! oh God! _Elsa prayed for it to end.

The Queen quickly moved her fingers around Elsa's shoulder, trying to determine the source of the swelling.

"Just... a little bit more." Aphrodite said and Elsa only whimpered loudly behind the piece of cloth.

After a moment, Aphrodite finally was done and she removed her hands and leaned back, feeling utterly relieved. "It's not broken." She stated with a relieved and happy breath, "It's just a contusion." She informed. But when she saw Elsa still panting, trying to take her breath again after this agonizing feeling and sweat rolling down on her forehead-before the queen could stop herself as if out of habit-Aphrodite leaned forward and brushed Elsa's hair off her face, "That's my good girl." She said fondly, caressing Elsa's side of her face and praising her daughter's courage for staying still. She then quickly moved to gently rub a remedy on the swollen shoulder before she started to wrap it with a bandage.

Elsa stopped panting when she heard the word _My _and actually felt a good tug to her heart… and she actually loved it? That's how her deceased mother used to call her. At the delicate, gentle and soothing touch on her face, she dazedly opened her eyes and slowly turned her head to look at the woman in surprise. Then with a shaking hand, removed the piece of cloth from her mouth.

Aphrodite was actually happy. She had a wide smile on her face as she silently bandaged Elsa, keeping her hooded head a bit low. She remembered when she bandaged Elsa's hand when she was nothing but a tiny little girl, and how she used to kiss her pain goodbye so she could make her feel better. But this time, a mother's kiss wouldn't be enough to get rid of such a pain.

All of these years, only memories had kept Elsa near her, and in silent moment, she'd imagine that her little Elsa was sitting next to her, watching her Mama work just like she always had. But she wasn't imagining now, her Elsa was really sitting next to her.

Elsa was staring at that hooded face for what seemed like forever. _She's helping me._ She thought to herself. _Why? _She could see how Leanna was smiling and she couldn't feel but warm-hearted at that. And there she was, without even knowing, smiling fondly and thankfully back.

Aphrodite finished with Elsa's shoulder and leaned back with a sigh of relief, "There. That's better." It took every fiber of willpower for her not kiss her daughter's shoulder like she used to when Elsa had hurt herself when she was little. She looked up and smiled directly at Elsa. God! If only she could hug her. The old bandages caught her eyes and they were either stained with food or dried blood. "Let me help you remove these, then you can go wash yourself up." She said looking at Elsa's stained body and dirty hair.

Elsa quickly snapped to attention and didn't realize that she was staring. "Oh!... Y-Yes, okay." She awkwardly said and Aphrodite had to stifle a giggle.

Elsa blushed hardly in embarrassment and wanted to bury her face in her hands.

The mother shook her head in amusement before she first helped her remove the bandages on her thigh and leg, and realized that the wounds were much better and no more need for new bandages. She then helped Elsa carefully sit on the bedside so that Aphrodite could sit behind her and remove the bandages around her torso. "Come on… Easy." Aphrodite said while helping her, being careful not to touch her injured shoulder.

Elsa sat up with a groan of pain and then relaxed. Aphrodite then handed her a blanket so she could cover herself up and sat behind her and began her work.

The awkward silence was killing both of the two. Aphrodite needed to say something… Anything at all! But she felt lost for words for the first time in her life. "U-Uhm…" She started awkwardly while busying herself by unwrapping the bandage off of Elsa's torso. "Forgive Anna's… Energetic behavior. Sometimes she doesn't think before she acts. And well… You saw what happened."

Elsa gulped and felt she _had_ to reply. "I-It's okay." She said, "She's fine, really." She replied, not wanting Anna to have any trouble with her mother. She then smiled, remembering Anna's crazy and funny behavior.

Aphrodite smiled and nodded, "I'm happy that you two are getting along." She honestly confessed.

"She's…" Elsa trailed off with a smile, "She's really kind to me." She paused then, "It's been a while since I… Since someone treated me like that." She lowered her head sadly and sighed, remembering her dead family.

Aphrodite was holding herself as much as she could while slowly unwrapping the bandage. She wanted to know more about what her daughter was thinking. She remembered how many times Elsa had lost control of her powers in the fort. She furrowed her eyebrows in wonder, "And your powers? Didn't you use them to-"

"NO!" Elsa suddenly snapped with wide fearful eyes. Use them? Oh heck no! Her father would kill her. She shook her head quickly, "I shouldn't... I have to... C-Conceal, conceal… Don't freeze… Don't freeze!" She whispered to herself and was clearly lost in thoughts.

_Conceal?!_ Aphrodite thought.

The room turned really cold and barely visible frost was forming on the bed. Elsa saw it though and gasped. "No, no, no… Concealconcealconceal! Don't feel… Don't feel…" Elsa squeezed her hands to her chest and closed her eyes, rocking herself lightly on the bed.

_What…?_ Aphrodite was really shocked and she stopped unwrapping the bandage after hearing her daughter say 'Don't feel.'

"I can't!" Elsa shouted as she regained her focus again, "I-I'm not allowed to! It's a curse! It's d-dangerous! It hurt people! And it's the reason I was l-locked away a-a-and-"

"Hey, calm down! I was just asking." Aphrodite softly said with a worried and surprised face. It was quite a shock for her. Elsa just reacted as if the mere sound of the word 'Powers' could turn her fearful. Seeing and knowing that Elsa feared _and_ hated her powers so much was definitely unexpected. When Elsa was little, she used to love her powers and secretly play with them with her little sister. She also used to be proud and excited to show her Mama how she could control them and create snowmen for her.

And after all those years, Elsa saw her powers as a fatal curse, and there was no doubt who's responsible for this. Aphrodite really wanted to choke her husband. _Look what you've done to her… _She thought angrily and started to realize things. _No wonder why she's changed so much! _She remembered how Elsa was once fearless and happy, and how she was now. _You've let her fear her powers!? They were a part of her own soul! You've destroyed who she is!_

"No one had ever found you?!" Aphrodite suddenly asked.

Elsa have calmed down a bit. She shook her head, "No…" She sighed, "The only person kind to me back there… Was Kai."

Aphrodite's eyes shot wide, "K-Kai is locked up!?" She asked shocked and sounded as if she knew the man, in which she did. "I-I mean… Who's Kai?" She asked awkwardly again and mentally facepalmed.

Luckily, Elsa didn't think about it. She was busy forgetting the stinging pain on her shoulder. She winced when she felt her shoulder sting, then relaxed again. "H-He was one of the royal servants. He… He was really good to me." She said and felt that she terribly missed him. _I hope you're okay, Kai… Please be okay. _"He didn't let me forget my name when… P-Papa said that I don't deserve one." She said sadly and sighed.

Aphrodite's hands froze for a second and she grimaced hardly on that. She then forced herself to continue. _Don't break… Don't break…_

Elsa felt really relaxed with this woman that she didn't realize she was having a normal conversation with her. "He also used to give me his food when it wasn't even my turn." She said as if the word _Turn_ in eating food was casual.

_Don't break…_ Aphrodite couldn't believe that there were turns for food when Elsa was back in the cellar. She looked at how much Elsa was skinny and she concluded that Jamie didn't even use to feed her properly and that made her shiver as she tried with all her might to get a hold of herself_. Bastard… Bastard… Bastard!_ She cursed her husband over and over while keeping her mouth shut as much as she could. Although, she felt a whole wave of remorse and pride for Kai. He was there for her daughter when she wasn't. She suddenly bit her lip and had one question that would change everything right this second, "What… What about your mother?" She dared ask as she got back to unwrapping the bandage and her heart raced and raced and raced for a desperate answer.

At that Elsa's body tensed all over and Aphrodite _did_ notice it. Elsa's eyes widened a bit and then her hands clenched tight. She shut her eyes and held back her tears. "I-I… I don't know. I-I can't talk about it." She quickly said, trying her best to avoid this question. _Mama… Oh god…_ She felt tears starting to form._ I'm so sorry!... Please forgive me! I never meant to hurt you! I swear! I swear I never meant to hurt you!_

Aphrodite felt literally heartbroken on that. It was clear that her daughter didn't want to hear anything about her. _She doesn't wanna talk about me… She hates me! How __can__ I ever blame her!?__ She has every right to!_Aphrodite sighed and some tears were already shed so she quickly wiped them away and didn't realize that Elsa was doing the same to herself, and none noticed the other's sorrowful look and the aching pain in their hearts.

"Do-…" Elsa suddenly started again with a quivering voice, "D-Do you think I'm a monster?" She just wanted to know if _Leanna_ really did mean what she called her. She didn't know why this woman's opinion was so important but she just had to know.

Aphrodite looked up in surprise and stared at Elsa' back of her head, since Elsa still had her back to her mother. "No…" She whispered before she comprehended what Elsa really asked and her eyes widened, "No!" She said much louder, "N-No, no, no! God, no! Of course not! E-Elsa, I know what I said before but… I-I swear to you I didn't mean it _to you_! I was just angry at your…" She paused and sighed, "Father." _My husband._

Elsa's head shot up in confusion, "Really?!" She asked, her eyes still looking forward.

"Yes, Yes!" Aphrodite said while removing the bandage and she finally had only one layer left to unwrap off of Elsa's back, "Of course I didn't mean it at you! I'm sorry I said it to you. It was wrong from me… A-And like I said, It was only meant for your fa-" She suddenly stopped when Elsa's back was revealed to her… up close.

Aphrodite's tears were streaming now. Her mouth was slightly open and her hand hovered above the arbitrary-scattered lines that flawed her daughter's back. While feeling utterly shocked, her slender and gentle finger brushed one of the longest and newest lines that still had its dark red and brownish color and was scarring Elsa's back from between her shoulders and all the way down to her lower back. _What the hell did you do…?_ She thought to her husband in shock.

Elsa made a confused face when _Leanna_ stopped mid-sentence. She felt _Leanna_'s hand hovering over her back before it gently brushed it. Elsa hissed a bit in pain since the lashes still stung if touched.

Aphrodite quickly withdrew her hand and placed it at her mouth to squeeze it shut, avoiding a sob.

She knew it. Those lashes were going to leave hideous marks, but the worst thing was that they were _in addition_ to the old ones. _Don't break! Don't break! Don't break! _But oh she did.

Aphrodite let out a sob of despair and quickly slapped her mouth. When Elsa's eyes widened and she turned to face the sudden sorrowful Leanna, Aphrodite quickly buried her face in her hands and cried, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please forgive me, Elsa! I know I'm stupid for what I did to you! I made the most awful mistake and then… L-Look what happened to you!" She would never forgive herself for abandoning Elsa.

Okay. Elsa was literally caught off guard by that. She was really confused but she also felt sad for her that it broke her heart. "L-Leanna?" She said while looking around urgently to try and find a way to calm the crying woman down.

"I know you hate me, Elsa! I know! But please believe me I had no choice!" Aphrodite wailed again and started shaking her head angrily at herself.

_Hate you?!_ Elsa thought. She never knew that this woman felt so regretful for calling her a monster. Leanna was acting as if she did the biggest mistake of her life. "W-Wait...Uhm…" Elsa started and shook the woman from her shoulder awkwardly, "I-I forgive you." She said and tried to smile at the woman but it was all failing.

Aphrodite felt so woeful and much more guiltier since her daughter was so nice and kind yet oblivious to the real lie she was living. _I love you so much that it hurts my soul, Elsa! You're even trying to forgive me! You do not deserve to live a lie!... But I can't! I can't! _She started to cry uncontrollably now. Her wounded heart had so many pains that they seemed so real and since the day she has lost her little Elsa, there was just too much pain that time couldn't erase. That face… That sorrowful and pained face of her daughter had haunted her dreams, begging and pleading for help. And those eyes? God, those cyan eyes had crushed her soul every time she had woken up from her dreams. The day she received the news to Elsa's death was Hell itself. She had tried so hard to tell herself that her daughter was gone. Dead. That she was never going to see her again. But now, that was proved wrong.

And there was a lot of things that needed to be proved wrong.

Elsa was now more than shocked. Wasn't the stern Leanna supposed to be fearless and cold? She felt a lump in her throat. Wait, what?! Was she crying too?! Elsa brought a hand to her cheek and then looked at her gloved finger to see a tiny wet spot. Okay, that was really weird for her. Why was she feeling so sorrowful when this woman was? "P-Please don't cry…" Elsa tried to say again. "I uh… I-I…" She bit her lip hard and wanted to rip her hair out because of the nervousness and eagerness she was feeling at the same time.

"I'm so sorry." Aphrodite whispered slowly.

Elsa smiled weakly and leaned forward, wrapping her arms carefully around her unknowingly crying Mama and pulled her closer. Warm hugs always made people feel better, right? She had learned that the hard way when she used to hug and try to sooth herself in the cellar. "It's okay… I don't hate you. I forgive you."

Aphrodite let out the loudest sob and squeezed her long lost daughter to her chest, not wanting to ever let go, breathing in her baby's scent. _Oh my god! How much I missed you! If only you knew the real me! If you knew that I was your mother, you would have _despised_ me!_

Elsa felt that she couldn't breathe since Leanna was squeezing the air out of her, yet she couldn't help but smile sympathetically and allow the poor woman to hug her. She was feeling a bit of pain from the hug but all of that was forgotten because of the wave of comfort and happiness she was suddenly feeling.

Aphrodite's sorrowful tears turned into the most joyful ones as she finally held her daughter in her arms properly. She's been craving for this moment since the day Elsa was left alone at the ambush. She had been praying, wishing and hoping for it to come. And finally, here she was… living it. _My baby girl!.__.. __My baby girl!__...__ My little snowflake! _Aphrodite thought as she cried in happiness and caressed her daughter's head with a trembling hand whilst squeezing Elsa's cold body even tighter.

Elsa on the other hand had no idea she was hugging her actual mother. The person she presumed dead… or murdered from a long time ago. She felt as if she was totally safe and happy in this woman's embrace. It was as if the whole disgusting and cruel past shattered into a forgotten memory. _Leanna_'s body was so warm comparing to hers and she was enjoying every single bit of it. She then smelled the scent she long forgotten and she couldn't help but to bury her face in _Leanna_'s neck. But then… She found herself crying. Her subconscious was making her cry because she was finally reunited with her Mama. Because she missed that scent that she have forgotten that it was even her mother's. All those reactions were strange to her, but she welcomed them anyway. In that moment, while feeling Leanna's hand caressing her head, she felt all of that treacherous guilt go away. She finally just for this moment, felt innocent for the first time in fifteen years. All of that guilt. All of that shame was gone in her Mama's arms.

**(Oh goodness. Aphrodite: My Immortal – Evanescence)**

Aphrodite heard Elsa's muffled sobs and it was her daughter's turn to squeeze her tighter, "Shhhhh…" She shushed with a smile as she stroked her daughter's platinum head, "It's alright… You're safe now. No one will ever hurt you again." She said and knew that she had no right to add: I Promise. She knew her daughter never faced real Freedom. But then… Who said that she did? She needed to know what was going on in her daughter's mind. What was she feeling? What were her fears? Her worries? She wanted as hell to know why she was crying. Bottled up emotions, she presumed. But… Poor Aphrodite didn't know that Elsa was crying because-

_I miss you so much, Mama! I miss you, so, so much_! Why did she remember her Mama when she was only hugging this woman? Smelling this familiar scent had triggered so many emotions in Elsa. Even though she didn't understand any of them, she was feeling mixed up. Happy or Sad? Guilty or Innocent? Murderer or Pure-hearted? Her poor mind was lost. Her mind said she was a sad and guilty murderer. But her subconscious had other ideas. There was so much here that she couldn't understand. An angel was probably hugging her, draining her entire worries just like when she used to hug her Mama. Anna was one lucky girl to have a Mama like Leanna.

As they crushed each other with a hug and soaked each other with tears, Aphrodite kissed her daughter's injured shoulder gently, hoping that her pain would go away. Elsa on the other hand felt as if she was little again and that she was in her Mama's safe and comforting hands. But yet… It was only a feeling and not a fact to her. Both had so many words they needed to tell each other, but both of them were oblivious to specific things that they didn't dare say a word.

They just sat there, hugging each other, not wanting to _ever_ let go. Keeping such a secret on her daughters was a miserable thing for her. Well… She wasn't alone. Everyone had secrets. Sometimes, keeping secrets can change multiple lives. A secret's worth depends on the people from whom it must be kept. All of them were scared. Scared of what would happen if their secret was revealed. Fear really was everyone's enemy. Mother and daughter had the same fear: Fear of being alone. But they didn't know one thing: Nothing makes us lonely as our secrets, and only the truth will set us free. There are two types of secrets: the kind you _want _to keep in, and the kind you don't _dare_ to let out. But three things cannot long stay hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth. And as they once said…

_We dance round in a ring and suppose, but the secret sits in the middle and knows._

* * *

***Sniffle...sob sob... Sniffle* R-Review... ;) Damn... Look i have three Mamas XD That's why i love writing between Elsa and Aphrodite. **

**1) My best one which is the biological one. :***

**2) The one who breastfed me (O.O)... Uh, yeah she still lives with us and i call her Mama. :P**

**3) Annnnd my sweet, sweet Step-mother. (-.-) not so sweet.**

**!IMPORTANT NOTE FOR GUEST READERS!**

**Rate changing to T so be sure if somehow you lost the link to check out the T category.**


	36. Punishment

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY LORIDHHP!  
Here's the chappy! Take it as a gift from your friend, Lany. ;)**

**You deserve it! Since ya helped me a lot.**

**Thanks in advance! :***

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXXIV: Punishment

After a moment, they both felt that they just couldn't let go of each other. They discovered that they found real solace in each other's arms. Relief and Comfort; How could they ever let go if that's what they had been wishing for their whole life? Their bodies did reunite. But not their conscious minds. Both still had secrets to tell each other, but both were afraid to do so. Can a mother dare reveal a secret that would most definitely let her daughter leave and despise her? Or can the latter even dare say that she was a _murderer_ to a woman? They didn't want any catastrophic results, so they kept their mouths shut… for now.

As they hugged each other, Aphrodite let out a chuckle and used all her willpower to break the hug. "I'm sorry…" She started when she sat back from Elsa and quickly wiped her tears, "I got caught up in the moment."

Elsa quickly turned her head with a weak chuckle too while wiping her own tears. That was really awkward for both of them but mostly to Elsa. "I-It's alright. I didn't mean to... just hug you like tha-"

"It's fine, really." Aphrodite waved her hand dismissingly, "I… I really don't mind it." Okay… That was really creepy if they were strangers. Luckily, they were unknowingly a family.

They both laughed at each a bit before they fell into silence. Aphrodite gazed at those cyan eyes she adored so lovingly, marveling at how much her daughter had grown to a point where Elsa became _slightly_ taller than her. _Look at you…_ She thought fondly while smiling radiantly at each other. _Beautiful __as e__ver. _She saw how much Elsa looked like her as if she was the spitting image of her, and she couldn't feel any more proud.

While Aphrodite happily gazed at cyan eyes, the daughter was staring at a hooded face. Elsa was wondering why_ Leanna _always kept her hood on. The hood was really killing her. She felt as if this hood was a barrier to something incredibly important. But what? She brushed the idea away, wanting to respect the woman's privacy. "I uh… Can I ask you something?" Elsa suddenly asked.

Aphrodite's face turned happy and curious at the same time. She nodded and beckoned her to speak with a hand gesture.

Elsa bit her lip for a sec and fidgeted with her hand like a nervous child, "Can you… Not be mad at Anna? She really didn't mean to…" She trailed off and moved her injured shoulder a bit to show her point.

Aphrodite's smile grew. _She cares too much for her sister. _She leaned a hand and place it on Elsa's well shoulder. "I'm not mad at Anna. I know she didn't mean it… but sometimes I really have to teach her some important lessons 'cause if I don't, I'm afraid she'll turn this fort into ashes… Literally. In which I can promise you that she really can!" Aphrodite joked and laughed a bit. It has been a great while since she has done that… A very great while. "Now I can promise you that I won't punish her for your shoulder," Aphrodite started again with a smirk while raising a finger, "But I have to for the sake of the food they all wasted." Her smirk grew and she removed her hand off of Elsa's shoulder and leaned back, "Don't worry… She won't be alone. There's forty people with her in the punishment."

_Punishment…?_ Elsa thought fearfully. She was really worried since Anna was about to be punished. She could never forget the punishments she had received. She bit her lip hard and her face turned a bit afraid and concerned for Anna. "Y-You won't… H-Hurt her, right?" Elsa asked worriedly.

Aphrodite's eyes widened, "Oh God no! Not like that! A punishment's like… For example: Having her spend the rest of the upcoming two days -with every single person who joined her in the food massacre, at the field to help the farmers tend to the crops." She felt a bit worried since she knew that Elsa definitely had faced _Punishment_ in her husband's own way and she quickly shook her head, not wanting to start crying again since it was clear what _Punishment_ meant for Elsa. According to Elsa's body condition and scars, she could guess what it was, and that made her heart split in half.

Elsa's face brightened again in relief. "Thank you!" She lunged herself at Leanna and squeezed her in a crush hug, "Thank you thank you thank you for not having Anna punished and hurt!" Elsa said gratefully.

Aphrodite had her eyes wide and was taken a back a bit before she smiled widely, "Y-Your welcome…?" She awkwardly said and hugged back, feeling so jubilant, knowing that her daughter was so kind-hearted and really did care for her sister. "But I'm telling you… She _will_ work at the field along with the others." Aphrodite said with a smirk.

Elsa broke the hug and nodded excitedly, "Okay, okay!" She didn't mind if Anna worked at the fields. To her, it was quite fun and not that big of a punishment at all comparing to the ones she used to receive.

Aphrodite laughed at her daughter's excited behavior, "Go on, now." She said while motioning to the bathroom, "You should go wash yourself up. Ferga will bring you the hot water in a few minutes." She said through giggles and removed a piece of broccoli in playful disgust from Elsa's hair. "Ugh… I hate broccoli." Aphrodite said.

Elsa scrunched her nose cutely at the sight of the broccoli and Aphrodite head shot back with a laugh at the look on Elsa's face. "I-I presume you hate broccoli too." She said through her laughs.

Elsa felt her heart skip a beat at the woman's carefree laugh. _Leanna_ laughed as if it was the first time of her life. Elsa smiled shyly and nodded, still looking in disgust at the tiny piece of broccoli in _Leanna_'s hand.

Aphrodite shook her head in amusement, "I don't blame you." _You got that from me, anyway. _She thought in silence with a fond smile. She then playfully tapped Elsa scrunched nose and brought her back to attention, "You should probably wash yourself now. We still need to change those old bandages." She informed with a gentle and soft voice.

Elsa nodded then moved to go to the bathroom.

* * *

After a while, Elsa had finally washed herself up clean, and Aphrodite wrapped up the new bandages, but this time only on Elsa's torso, shoulder and broken arm. Her lower body was in no longer need of any bandages since the injuries were pretty well healed. Aphrodite then helped her get dressed and was insisting that Elsa would rest for tonight and tomorrow in bed.

"You should stay in bed for tonight and tomorrow too, Elsa." She said while packing her medical kit.

Elsa was laying on the bed and under the covers, enjoying the warmth and especially that she got rid of the horrible food smell off her body.

"You need to rest." Aphrodite said and finished putting the last tool in her bag. She then lifted her head and smiled fondly at her daughter, "You'll be alright, okay dear?" She reassured and glared playfully at her while pointing a scolding finger, "You are not to move out of the bed. Do you understand, Missy?"

Elsa smiled and nodded in reply, "Alright. I promise." She assured.

Aphrodite nodded back and moved to leave.

Elsa bit her lip, wanting to say something for the woman who saved her life many times. "Wait." She called, holding her hand up.

Aphrodite's hand froze above the door handle and she turned to her daughter in confusion, "Are you okay?" She asked, worried that Elsa might still feeling pain.

"Yeah, yeah! I'm fine… It's just…" Elsa slowly sat up in her bed, making sure her injured shoulder was okay, "I… Wanted to thank you for helping me and-… I really do forgive you. I-I know you didn't mean to call me _that_." Elsa nervously said with an honest smile.

Aphrodite smiled back, at the edge of joyful tears, "You don't have to thank me, dear." She said softly. "Know that I would do anything to make you feel better and I won't let anyone ever hurt you again." She promised._ But can you forgive me if you discover what I'__ve__ really done to you? _

Elsa smiled gratefully and fondly back. "Goodnight, then."

Aphrodite nodded slightly in acknowledgement, "Good night, Elsa." She said with a smile. _Goodnight, my little snowflake. _She turned and opened the door to reveal a huge crowd waiting outside, all cleaned up and neat. Her face wanted to turn stern again, but how could she after what she just finally experienced with her long lost daughter. She just went outside wearing a radiant and satisfied smile in the fort public for the first time in her life, and closed the door behind her.

* * *

Leanna was smiling. That was a shock that could have definitely gave a heart attack. Everyone stared with a jaw slack at her when she went out of Elsa's room. They presumed that she went _Coocoo_ or that the ice princess has frozen her brains.

Aphrodite stared at them, not realizing that she still had a wide smile, "What?" She asked confused.

Before anyone could answer, Aphrodite was nearly tackled by her younger daughter, Anna. "GOD! I'm so glad that you're finally out! Tell me everything! Is she alright!? Is she gonna live?! Is her shoulder broken?! Did her wound reopen?! IS SHE DEAD?! – OH MY GOD, NO! What have I done?!" Anna was about to cry and showered her mother with questions and didn't allow her to answer since the queen was staring with wide eyes and stuttering words.

"ANNA!" Aphrodite shouted with an amused smile at her daughter's incredible ability to ask all these questions at the same time, "She's _fine."_ She assured slowly while motioning for Anna to calm down. "It's not broken."

"REALLY!?" Anna jumped in happiness and crushed her mother in a hug that sent the air out of the poor woman's lungs. "That's great! I need to see her!"

Everyone let out a loud exhale of relief.

"Thank God." Aiden breathed and placed a hand on his forehead.

"Someone looks happy." Flynn noted while smirking at Aphrodite.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes and turned her focus on Anna again. "You are not getting in there before I talk to you all." She informed sternly.

Oh god… Where did the smile go?

Anna's eyes widened a bit in fear. _Uh-oh…_ "W-We can talk later if ya want…" Anna started, wanting to avoid her mother as she tried to walk pass her to go into Elsa's room, "I need to check on he-"

But Aphrodite caught the back of her collar and pulled her, "Oh no you won't." She said while dragging Anna behind her. "I need to speak to all of you, right now!" She shouted a bit angrily at everyone to hear.

Everyone cowered a bit before they nervously followed her.

Anna only groaned in frustration and crossed her arms with an angry pout while still being dragged on her heels by her mother.

"This… isn't going to be good." Rapunzel said while following everyone.

"Tell me about it." Kristoff said nervously while fidgeting with his hat.

* * *

Aphrodite led everyone away from Elsa's room and into the messy dining hall. The tables and chairs in the dining hall were tossed randomly, and everything-including the walls- was stained with food. Shattered cups and plates were scattered around the floor and food was dripping from the candle chandelier in the middle of the ceiling.

"Can you let go of me now?" Anna asked with a raised eyebrow and an angry face.

Aphrodite let go of her, "Now…" She turned to everyone and brushed her hands together as if removing invisible dust off of them. "You see this?" She asked while pointing around the food massacre.

Everyone- all of the forty guild members including Anna and her friends- folded their hands behind their back, lowered their heads like scolded children and nodded slowly, feeling ashamed.

"Well," Aphrodite stared at them with a cold and stern face while crossing her arms. "Do you know how much food you've wasted?" She asked.

Without daring to look up to see her intimidating gaze, they nodded.

"Do you know how much hard work the farmers have put themselves into so you could eat?! Only for all of their hard work to be thrown away and turned into a play day for you?!" She shouted angrily.

Everyone winced at her tone of voice and felt utterly guilty.

"Not just that, but the only person who wasn't responsible for all this ended up with a swollen shoulder. Can you imagine what would have happened if your reckless behaviors have broken Elsa's shoulder?! Do you think she needed any more injuries than she already has!?" She asked again, piercing them with her green emerald eyes that flared with irritation.

Everyone shook their head sadly. Anna was feeling the guiltiest now.

"Well?!" She asked louder, wanting them to say it aloud, still crossing her arms.

"No…" They all said slowly in unison.

"Alright then," She said and her face softened from a glare into a cold one. Which wasn't any better. "You are all first to clean the whole hall of the mess you've made. For two days, you won't be having dinner. Then tomorrow and after, you are all to go work at the field and help the farmers with the crops."

"WHAT?!" They all asked, shocked.

"But that's a lot of work!" Anna protested.

"Then you should have thought about it before you started all this silliness." Aphrodite replied flatly and turned to leave. "And nearly broke Elsa's shoulder." She added.

"No wait! We can't! We have to stay with Elsa." Anna argued.

Aphrodite turned again at them. "I reckon that Elsa can spend her time tomorrow and after, with Zoey. She needs to rest. Zoey can keep her company while you work your punishment off. I'm sure she'll be fine."

Anna opened her mouth to speak but-

"My decision is final." Aphrodite said with a determined wave of her hand and turned to leave without a word, smashing the door behind her as she went outside.

Everyone winced at the echoing sound of the door closing since it clearly showed that Leanna was pretty much irritated.

"Well…" Rapunzel started aloud, everyone still staring at the door that Leanna just went through seconds ago. "We should probably start. This hall won't clean itself!" She said cheerfully while waving her hands around to show the extremely now-sloppy and food stained dining hall.

Everyone groaned in frustration before-with a lowered and ashamed face- went in different directions to start cleaning the room and tidy it up.

Flynn was walking towards a table to bring it back up from the floor but he was stopped.

"Don't step there." Aiden said while fixing the chairs up.

"What? Why?" Flynn asked, confused.

Aiden only pointed at the ground.

Flynn furrowed his eyebrows in misperception and looked underneath him to see an ant. He frowned, "It's just an ant."

"It's Elsa's ant, Olaf." Aiden casually said.

Flynn gave him a ridiculous look, "And how did you know?"

Aiden only shrugged his shoulders, "I don't." And continued fixing up the chairs.

Everyone around heard him and now they were all avoiding stepping on ants as much as they could, learning from Elsa that they should treat creatures-tiny or big- with equal kindness.

* * *

After they were finally done, Anna and her friends headed to Elsa's room.

Elsa was toying with a thread from her gloves, distracted by the thoughts of Leanna's behavior with her. It was only then did it dawn on her that both acted so calmly and happily with each other as if they've known each other for a long time. She suddenly felt as if she really wanted to see her again. To spend so much more time with her. _Leanna_'s hug wasn't like Anna's. Anna's was great! No doubt what so ever. All full with warmth and fondness. But there was something about _Leanna_'s that had so much more. She sighed in the silent room, realizing what really happened.

A knock on the door startled her from her thoughts.

"Elsa?" Anna's voice called and Elsa felt a wave of happiness and comfort wash all over her.

The door creaked open a bit and Anna poked her head from behind it, wearing a tired but happy face from all the work she just did. And the horrible thing was, that Anna knew it was just the start of the punishment. "How're ya feeling?" She asked a bit worried and feeling guilty.

Elsa nodded, "I'm fine." She said with a happy face.

Anna opened the door and entered, followed by Rapunzel and the other three men.

"Hey, Elsa." Rapunzel greeted gently as she approached with Kristoff.

Elsa smiled at back, "Hey."

Aiden entered last, and when he saw her bandaged shoulder he winced and felt his heart rip in two. It was killing him to know that she might had been in pain. He then lifted his eyes to see her radiant face. Strangely, her hair looked brighter than before and her cyan eyes looked livelier. He didn't realize he was staring until Rapunzel elbowed him with a smirk.

"Snap out of it, Oafy. You're drooling." She joked with a whisper and he gave her a frown before he quickly shook his head. _This… Really HAS to stop! What the heck is happening to me?! _He then realized that Elsa looked really happy and his smile couldn't go any wider. _If your Mama keeps you happy like that then let her always stay with you!_ He thought jokingly to himself. He then walked beside Flynn and they leaned next to the bed on the wardrobe.

"Surrender, Oafy. She has your heart." Rapunzel joked again and he wanted to slap his forehead since it didn't came out like a whisper and Flynn was able to hear since he had the most wide eyes and evil smile. _Oh great. _Aiden thought and wanted to bury himself.

"He got it _haaard!"_ Rapunzel whispered to Flynn in a sing-song and they snickered with each other.

"Okay, stop it!" Aiden whispered… loudly.

"What's wrong with you three?" Anna asked as she sat next to Elsa, raised a suspicious eyebrow at the three and snapped them to attention.

Aiden turned bright red.

"Oh, nothing. We're just happy that Elsa's okay." Rapunzel saved the day.

Anna mentally shrugged and turned her attention to Elsa.

Aiden threw daggers with his light green eyes at the couple that now both knew his secret crush, and now he realized that a nightmare of mocking and teasing was about to begin. He was barely having enough with Rapunzel alone! But the two together?! They were like devils!

"How's your shoulder?" Anna asked as she brushed a hair strand from Elsa's face and tucked it behind her ear.

Elsa sighed a bit and relaxed in bed. She looked at her bandaged shoulder and shrugged with her well one, "It's good, really." She honestly said with a smile.

Anna bit her lip, "Oh god, Elsa. I'm sorry that this happened to you. It was stupid of me to start all this chaos and I forgot that you were still healing."

Elsa shook her head with a smile, "Hey, don't worry. I'm fine now, I swear." She assured.

Anna smiled apologetically, "Do you forgive me?" She asked shyly.

Elsa's eyes widened a tiny bit, "Of course!... You never even meant it. It was just an accident, right?" She paused for a moment before her face turned suddenly worried, "Olaf?" She asked shyly, feeling silly.

Anna furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, forgotten who Olaf was. "Who's Olaf?" She asked and the moment the question left her lips, she remembered, "OH! The ant?! I uh…" _I have no idea._

"He's alright." Aiden's voice came out and they all looked towards him. He chuckled a bit, "We made sure not to step on any ant while cleaning the hall." He said feeling even MUCH more silly.

Okay that was weird.

Flynn leaned closer to whisper in Rapunzel's ear, "What is he saying? It's illogical not step on every single ant! The room was crowded with people! Who knows how much ants were squi- OOF!" Before he could continue, he received an elbow from his girlfriend, shushing him up.

"Don't say that in front of her." She whispered back through gritted teeth while smiling and looking at Elsa.

"We're just glad you're okay, Elsa." Kristoff started. "We were all worried about you."

_They did?_ Elsa thought, surprised.

"I can see you're surprised." Anna said to Elsa with a smirk.

Elsa snapped back from her thoughts. "I'm… I'm…"

"It's okay! I understand." Anna said gently, "But can't you see that ALL of us care for you?... And not just me?" She asked.

Elsa thought for a moment but didn't answer.

"Well… Hopefully someday you will." Kristoff hoped, giving her a sympathetic smile. "You can't deny that we didn't have fun with Sven, Maximus and Ebony, right?" He asked a bit worried for her answer.

Elsa remembered how Kristoff was kind to her. He might had spooked her out of her pants at first, but then he made her laugh and showed her that Maximus or any other horse didn't fear her. He also-and most importantly- didn't think she was a monster. He didn't hurt or hit her… at all.

She remembered when she spat wine at him and the silly look on his face. And most importantly, he admitted his crush for Anna to her. So then, Elsa suddenly found herself trying to stifle a smile but definitely failed.

Kristoff and everyone leaned closer to look and wanted to make sure if their eyes were deceiving them!

"I see a smillleee!" Anna sing-songed with her own radiant smile.

Elsa snapped from her thoughts and looked around to see them all leaned closer at her and watching her smile. She furrowed her eyebrows and gave them a weird look.

Their eyes widened since they definitely spooked the poor girl at their sudden behavior. They all quickly leaned back and began to laugh.

"One point for me, baby!" Kristoff shouted happily. "I earned a smile. I'm in tie with Rapunzel." He said and pointed a thumb at himself proudly.

Oh, but this time, Elsa smirked at him directly and sneakily pointed at Anna with her eyes.

Kristoff's eyes widened and he turned bright red. _Oh no you won't!... Don't you dare! _He knew what she was going to do.

Elsa turned to Anna and opened her mouth to speak but Kristoff quickly shot up from his seat, "I THINK w-we have something to tell you!" He shouted to Elsa.

Elsa closed her mouth and stifled a giggle.

Everyone else stared at him as if he was a lunatic. "Are you okay, Kristoff?" Anna seriously asked and placed a gentle hand on his arm in concern.

He started to stutter, "U-Uh… Y-Yeah yeah! I-I was just telling you guys that we should tell E-Elsa that she will be spending tomorrow with Zo-"

"Tomorrow she'll be resting." Anna noted.

"Then after tomorrow with Zoey!" He said happily, trying to remove the attention off of him. "Isn't that lovely, Elsa?" He awkwardly asked and gave her a wince, pleading for her not to say a word.

Elsa's smirk grew, "Oh! Yes, yes that would be great." She acted as if she was innocent, "Thank you for tell me, Kristoff." She formally and teasingly said.

Anna and the other men were totally surprised at Elsa's strange behavior, but not Rapunzel.

Rapunzel was trying to hide her laugh and she slapped Elsa playfully on her knee. _You are one sneaky, sneaky girl, you know that? _She thought before she tried to hide a giggle with Elsa, though Elsa had a simple and calm smile and was able much more to control her snickering as she stared right back at Anna with an innocent smile. Yet that innocent smile was slyer on the inside.

"You two are creepy." Anna said as she skeptically watched Elsa and Rapunzel.

"Are we?" Rapunzel asked teasingly with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes." Anna said eyeing them carefully, "Yes, you are." Poor girl. Totally oblivious that she had an admirer. But yet… Who said that her sneaky sister wasn't too?

* * *

The next day, Elsa felt much better. While Anna and the others worked their butts off in the fields under the hot summer sun, Elsa stayed in bed, remembering that _Leanna_ insisted that she should.

The second next day, Elsa was going to have her play day with Zoey and the children, and she actually felt excited just as the children were. She was the first to wake up since she was used to do so early. She sat up on her bed with a sigh and tried to rub the sleep from her eyes. She then looked over to find Rapunzel sleeping peacefully in her bed.

Anna on the other hand… Well, let's just say that was a fun sight to see. Elsa saw Anna's weird form, sleeping in the weirdest position a human could ever make. Her libs were shot in every directions and drool was trickling from her mouth from all the exhaustion she felt yesterday at the fields. Her hair was a bizarro! And Elsa giggled a bit at her.

_Poor girls…_ She thought, smiling fondly at the two. Last night they entered the room only to throw themselves, face-planted on their bed with groans of exhaustion.

Elsa got up from her bed, approached Anna, slowly sat next to her and tried to find her face under all that crazy fiery hair. "Anna… Waky, waky..." Elsa cooed at her to try and wake her up so that the redhead and the blonde Rapunzel wouldn't be late for their second day of work at the fields. But Anna only snored very loudly in reply before she stirred and had her butt up while her face was planted in the pillow, "Num, num… Carrots… Broccoli… Plant them…" Anna mumbled in her sleep and went back to her snoring.

Elsa closed her ears and winced since the woman was snoring like a dying pig! She wondered how the hell Rapunzel wasn't waking up from the horrifying sounds.

Elsa then frowned, "Anna..." She called again, "Today's the day with Zoey!" She said excitedly but Anna snored again and turned on the other side so she could have her back at Elsa, "Elsa… Snow… Sister… Do the magic…"

Elsa heard her mumble and muffle something from underneath the pillow but she only heard 'Snow'. Elsa then realized that Anna wasn't going wake up. She frowned then moved to Rapunzel.

She sat next to her slowly and saw how the blonde was smiling in her sleep, "Rapunzel?" Elsa called but Rapunzel only stirred, "Love you too, Flynn…" Rapunzel mumbled and Elsa giggle silently a bit.

She poked the blonde's shoulder, "Rapunzel… We need to see Zoey." But Rapunzel smirked in her sleep and brushed Elsa's hand away, "Oh Flynn you silly boy… Stop it…"

Okay. That was really disturbing for Elsa. She poked Rapunzel's shoulder harder in irritation for her to wake up already, "Stop it, Flynn… Leave it for later… I said stop it!"

_Poof!_

"Oof!" Only for Elsa to receive a pillow right at her face that nearly knocked her off from the bed before she quickly steadied herself with the bed post.

Elsa was glaring now. She removed the pillow off her face and huffed her bangs ad feathers off her face in irritation. She waved her hand at both girls dismissingly, giving up on waking the two since it was hopeless. She stood and walked towards the rose so she could give it its daily water.

Elsa held the jug and poured some for the rose. After a moment, her hand froze and her face turned evil. She turned at the two sleeping women then look at the water jug in her hands.

Anna was mumbling random words again and she had a happy face, "Higher, Elsa… Higher!… Snowman… Olaf… Olaa-AAAAHHH!"

"WATER FOR A FLOWER!" Elsa shouted before she poured the water on Anna.

Anna jumped off from her bed, startled. "OH MY GOD! Coldcoldcoldcold!" She shouted as she tried to warm and stop herself from shivering underneath her soaked nightgown, hopping in place.

At Anna's shout, Rapunzel woke up, "What?! Who?! Where?!- WOAAH! OOF!" Rapunzel lifted herself and asked random questions before she fell off from the side of her bed, face first.

Elsa made an _Ooo_ with her mouth, feeling Rapunzel's pain, before she suddenly burst out into carefree and light-hearted loud laughter.

"Y-You could have… J-J-Just woke us, you k-know!" Anna said while trying to warm herself.

Elsa shrugged, "I tried!" Elsa said while wiping her laughter tears from her eyes and stopped laughing for a moment, only to remember Anna's face when the water hit her and to burst into new fits of laughter again.

Rapunzel groan in pain and lifted her face from the floor and rubbed her forehead, "Ow…"

"You used a pillow!" Elsa accused playfully and pointed at the blonde woman on the ground.

Rapunzel sat up, still rubbing her forehead, "What…?" She didn't understand at first but then she guested that she might has hit Elsa with a pillow while she was trying to wake her up. "You used the whole FLOOR!" Rapunzel accused back and giggled a bit.

Elsa shrugged as if she was innocent, "I thought you two had work at the field today." She reminded.

Anna and Rapunzel eyes shot wide, "THE FIELD!" The two shouted to each other in unison.

Anna quickly ran to dry herself, "We're late!" She said while wiping herself with a towel. "Mum will kill us! I won't have another two more days at the field for being late!"

Rapunzel quickly got up, and moved to run but she had her legs tangled in the bed sheets and she fell back-face first AGAIN!- on the floor. "SERIOUSLY!?" She shouted while still having her face squished.

Elsa was really crying from laughter now. Joyful tears rushed to meet her cheeks as she gripped her stomach and tried not to laugh at the morning comedy show.

Anna was brushing her teeth while combing her soaked hair and she poked her head from the bathroom, "Elsa you better stop laughing!... And go dress or else you won't have your day with Zoey, Lori, Matthew and the other children!"

Elsa quickly shut her mouth and stopped her laughs, "Okay." She then moved and helped the dizzy Rapunzel up on her feet by letting the blonde lean on her well shoulder.

"Elsa… Is that you?" Rapunzel said while swaying a bit and Elsa quickly steadied her and held three fingers in front of the dizzy woman's face, since she saw Anna do that to Flynn when he slipped on a puddle five days ago.

"Quick! How much are these?" Elsa quickly asked.

Rapunzel rubbed her forehead and opened her eyes groggily, "Whaaa… Six?"

Elsa looked at her fingers. What was six? What was seven? And was three anyway? Since she wasn't educated enough to count, she shrugged her shoulders, "Yup! You're good."

* * *

**I hope you liked my tiny surprise, Lori. ;)**

**Guys, kudos to Loridhhp. My grammar and writing was A-W-F-U-L before she sent me pms and helped me make it better. My writing is not perfect at all, but it's readable.**

**May you live 1000 years more, Lori. :)**

**As for the people who are impatient and wants for the truth to come out already. Well... Simply don't read the chappies until you see a chappy called Truth or Secret revealed or something like that. Simple. :) **

**The main plot is not for just the secret to be revealed. It's more like for Elsa to heal.**

**Oh! And i got accepted to the university! Interior design! Hahah holy canolies the entry exam was between 400 people and they only take 28! I got my pants wet from worries! Hahahah joke... or not!**

**Next chapter will be… I won't tell you. HA! Or should I? OKAY!**

**Next Chapter definitely:** The Snow Queen


	37. The Snow Queen

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXXIV: The Snow Queen

"Ready?" Anna asked while standing in the doorway, waiting for Elsa and Rapunzel to finish up.

Elsa and Rapunzel quickly ran up and stood in front of her, each of them dressed up and prepared to enjoy their day. Or not quite _Enjoy_ for the two thieves, but it was for Elsa.

They gave Anna a thumb up and she nodded and opened the door, before they all went outside.

When they reached the fields, they saw how each of the guild members were busy either planting, harvesting, watering or fertilizing. The field area was huge. There were two different fields. The one on the right where trees of different fruits were neatly aligned, and the one on the left where they planted the vegetables. Different plants of vegetables were implanted tidily in columns. From potato, tomato, leek and lettuce, to wheat, cabbage, carrots and broccoli. Farmers were helping the guild members in the fields, fearing that those thieves could ruin their hard work. Nevertheless, the formers did enjoy the latter's help and were actually grateful for it.

Today, Elsa had her wavy platinum hair loose while Anna and Rapunzel had their hair wrapped up in a bun to avoid as much as mud and dirt from coming inside it.

The three girls were first greeted with Kristoff and the other two men who were all only wearing sleeveless shirts, a straw hat and the usual working pants, revealing their arm muscles and biceps. "Hey, girls!" Kristoff said as he wiped away sweat from his forehead, while leaning on a hoe.

Anna blushed a bit, seeing his muscles, "H-Hey… Uhhh…" She stammered and lost herself. Kristoff and the other men gave her a confused look.

Rapunzel shook her head in amusement, "What Anna was trying to say is… Good morning, boys!" She said and happily waved, before her eyes landed on Flynn, "Wow… I-I mean… Uh…" She lost herself too.

Elsa on the other hand was watching the two girls' face going red, in curiosity. She poked Anna's cheek, "Tomato!" She said with a cute voice.

Anna quickly snapped out of it and blushed harder before she playfully slapped Elsa's hand away, feeling embarrassed, "Ha ha. Very funny, Elsa."

Elsa turned then to Rapunzel, only to see her red too. She poked Rapunzel's cheek, "Tomato?"

Rapunzel sighed and hid half of her face with one hand, "Yes, yes. A tomato, Elsa." She brushed Elsa's finger away and whispered pleadingly in her ear, "Please don't call us that in front of them!"

Elsa made an 'Oh' with her mouth then a confused face too, "But… They are tomatoes too." She whispered secretly back.

Rapunzel and Anna made a confused and surprised face before they turned to the men to see that all three of them were red and were also gazing happily at their _crush_.

Kristoff, Flynn and Aiden snapped out of it and started to stammer nervously in unison before they turned to continue their work so they could hide their red face.

"Summer heat is burning, huh boys!?" Rapunzel teasingly joked.

"Y-Yeah yeah of course!" The three men awkwardly said together.

"MY GOD! It's really hot today! I feel like I'm gonna melt!" Anna said while fanning her face with her hand and tried to wipe her sweat. She then turned to Elsa in surprise, "How aren't you even sweating?!... Look at us! We're all wet like pigs!"

Elsa shrugged her shoulders with a pout. She really didn't know why. She never even thought about it. She had sweated before, but it was never from Heat.

Anna touched Elsa's shoulder, "God! You're even cold!"

Rapunzel laughed a bit, "You better run before everyone hugs you so they could escape the heat, Elsa." She deadpanned.

"Luckyyyy!" Anna playfully said to Elsa. _If only I could ask her to create some snow for us!_

"ELSA!" A little girl called.

Everyone smirked before they turned to see Zoey rushing with a bunch of kids, boys and girls, right towards them, laughing and giggling as they did.

"Hey, Zoey!" Anna called and waved.

The children stood in front of Elsa hopping in excitement and gazing at her in awe as if they never saw someone like her before.

Zoey ran to Anna first and hugged her, next came Rapunzel and the other men, even Kristoff.

"Hey, ya little rascal." Aiden said and messed Zoey's hair.

"Eedoooo!" Zoey whined and pushed his hand away from her head.

Aiden suddenly smirked and lifted her up bridal style and moved to a water tub, "Who's Eedoo now, huh!?" He playfully intimidated before he held her above the water tub and she was squealing and laughing in delight, trying to escape his grip.

"A-Aiden! Please don't! I don't wanna get wet!" She said through her laughs.

Everyone watched in amusement, a smile on their faces, except for Elsa who was watching in more of a curiosity.

Anna smirked and leaned to Lori, one of the girls who had brunette hair and honey eyes. She whispered something in her ear and the little girl's face turned evil.

Lori turned to her friends and rounded them up so she could tell them her plan. After they were done, the kids turned to Aiden and Zoey.

"He's attacking our chief! GET HIM!" Lori suddenly shouted and pointed an accusing finger at Aiden.

"RAAAHH!" All of the kids ran at him.

Aiden turned his head in confusion, but before he could process what was about to happen, he was pushed by all of the kids and ended up landing inside the water tub with a loud splash, and Zoey landed perfectly safe out on the grass.

"That's what happens when you mess with The Snow Team!" Zoey said in victory.

"YEAHHH!" The other kids said while high-fiving.

Anna and the others were laughing hard at the look of surprise on _Eedoo_'s face, including Elsa. The princess felt a bit of pride AND disappointment, knowing that the children chose a title that involved the word Snow. She _hated_ the snow, but she also loved it. She hated it because it brought her pain, agony and misery, and also made her kill her sister and mother, and because it was a dangerous and murderous element. She loved it instinctively but she didn't know that she did. It was a love buried WAY deep inside her heart to a point that this love became insensible.

Aiden was feeling a bit annoyed, but when he saw Elsa laughing, his annoyance turned into joy and was utterly grateful for the kids. At least he made her laugh and didn't scare her.

"Hey, you!" A rough old woman's voice called out and everyone stopped their laughs.

They turned in surprise at the voice to see an old cranky, fat woman, holding a basket full with vegetables.

"You better all stop messing around and get your butts to work! Anna and Kristoff, to the tree field!... Rapunzel, Flynn and… That wet oaf, to the vegetable field! Now move it! Move it!" She said angrily and went back to her work.

Anna and the other thieves winced at her harsh tone.

"Well," Zoey started and stood up, dusting her dress, "Come on, Elsa! Let's go have fun!"

All of the kids followed Zoey and they all stood in front of Elsa.

Anna and the other adults sighed.

"Okay, Elsa…" Anna started while looking at those cyan eyes, "We're going to go now. Don't worry, Zoey and the other kids will keep you company. You'll have fun with them while we work at the field!" She said with a happy voice.

When it was time to go, Elsa felt worried again. Could those kids protect her from men? They did win over Aiden, but still. They were just kids.

Anna noticed Elsa's anxiety. She placed a hand underneath Elsa's chin and lifted her head, "Elsa, no one will hurt you. Really! Stop worrying!" She said with a playful glare.

Elsa slowly nodded.

"There you go!" Anna said and turned her so she could face the kids. "Go on." She encouraged.

Elsa felt a bit shy and didn't move.

Zoey smiled and ran to her, "Come on, Elsa!" She said and grabbed the princess's dress- since she knew that Hands were a big NO- and pulled her closer to the kids, "I want you first to meet my friends!"

The thieves watched Elsa's shy and worried face sympathetically, "Don't worry, Elsa! Be careful and just have fun!" Anna called and waved.

"We will!" Zoey replied back with a shout while pulling Elsa behind her.

Elsa could only hope.

When Elsa and the kids were far away, Anna turned to her friends, "Well… We should head to work now."

"Yeah, come on Flynn… Oafy?" Rapunzel said and looked over Aiden to see him relaxing in the tub. She shook her head in amusement, "I know it's hot, Oafy, but we have work to do." And with that she helped him up from the tub with a hand from Flynn. She smirked and turned to Anna and Kristoff, "Have fun, you too!" She sing-songed teasingly.

Anna and Kristoff blushed hard but glared at her.

Rapunzel shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes. _You two definitely belong together._

"Let's go, Kristoff." Anna said and kept her glare at Rapunzel.

And they all parted ways and went their own way.

* * *

"Okay, Elsa!" Zoey said excitedly, "This is Lori and Matthew!" She pointed at the familiar girl who had led the other kids to push Aiden into the tub, and a black haired boy.

"Hello!" Lori and Matthew replied in unison.

Elsa shyly waved, feeling stupid and awkward. Yup. This was harder than she thought.

"This is Tammy, Merida, Jimmy and Andrew!" Zoey continued while pointing at each of her friends who were in different sizes and ages. "And guys, this is Elsa!" Zoey introduced, "She's The Princess of Arendelle!"

"Really?!" The children asked in unison, gazing at her in awe.

"Uhm…" Was all what Elsa could replied.

"She's pretty." Lori said lovingly.

"She has ice powers!" Matthew said, "It's so cool! I wish I had powers like you!"

Elsa shook her head in denial. Of course no one should have wished for such powers and it killed her to even imagine what would have happened to those kids if they were in her place.

A tug at her dress snapped Elsa to attention. She looked down to see a tiny girl with fiery red, curly hair and big blue eyes, shyly looking at her. That was the youngest amongst the kids, Merida.

The shy girl played with a strand of her hair nervously and avoided eye contact, "You… You have beautiful eyes." She said with her tiny baby voice that had a Scottish accent.

Elsa wasn't sure if she should have felt complimented, since her father always told her that her eyes were the Devil's. But this cutey little girl sounded so honest that Elsa couldn't help but smile fondly.

"Thank you… Merida. You have beautiful eyes too!" Elsa finally spoke as she knelt to Merida's eye level and gave her a wide smile.

"How come is your hair like that?" Andrew asked curiously and tilted his head in wonder.

"It comes with her powers, Genius!" Lori said mockingly at him.

He frowned, "My grandma has the same hair color and she doesn't have ice powers!" He replied childishly and Lori stuck her tongue at him.

He did the same and they both turned with a huff from each other.

"Do you dream of snow when you sleep?" Tammy asked.

"Can you create real snowmen and angels!?" Jimmy asked excitedly, all of them looking at her in amazement now.

"Or or or snow horses!" Matthew said and the children joined him with shouts of agreement.

Elsa couldn't help but giggle at the kids' excited behavior, and couldn't just break their hopes and enthusiasm since all of their answers were going to be a 'No'. All what she knew about her powers, that they were able to cause Destruction and Death. Nothing more.

"Okay! So… What do you guys wanna play?!" Zoey asked and placed her hands on her hips.

"Ouh! Ouh! Ouh! I know! I know!" Merida said while hopping in place and raising a hand.

"Merida!" Zoey allowed and pointed a finger at the tiny girl.

"Tag!" Merida said with a pounce.

"Yeah!" The children agreed in unison.

Zoey turned to Elsa and explained the game to her, and right when she finished, she tapped Elsa's nose, "Tag! You're it!" And all of the children quickly scurried away in different direction while laughing.

Elsa stood surprised for a moment before it finally dawn on her that she had to tap or touch one of the kids. And to do that, she had to run! Elsa quickly followed them and ran behind them.

She first chose the easiest target, Merida. She ran towards her, "I'm coming to get you!" She called playfully and Merida's eyes widened and she tried to run as fast as she could but Elsa was much faster and she reached the little girl and tapped her shoulder. "Gotcha!" Elsa said.

Merida smirked and quickly turned to tap Elsa again, but Elsa was really hard to catch since Merida's tiny legs couldn't keep up with Elsa's long and slender ones.

Merida then changed her target and ran at Zoey.

Zoey squealed in delight and turned to her friends, "RUN!" And they all did the same while laughing their guts out.

After a moment, Merida couldn't breathe anymore and she wanted a break so bad since she still couldn't catch anyone. She stopped in her tracks and panted, still having that brave innocent and cute smile on her face.

"Come on, Merida! Catch us if ya caaaannn! Didn't you say that you were The Brave Warrior!?" Andrew teased with a sing-song.

Merida's face pouted a bit and she felt hopeless and on the edge of tears.

Elsa saw that and she felt heartbroken for the girl. She had an idea to relief the poor girl from her misery. "Merida!" She called.

Merida turned to Elsa with a confused face.

Elsa smirked, "Catch me!" She sang.

Merida had it from all the teasing and she quickly ran at Elsa with an evil smile.

Elsa's eyes widened and she turned to run, but this time she purposely had a slow pace so that the little girl could really catch her. She laughed and laughed delightfully seeing the serious look on Merida's face.

After a moment, Merida finally tapped Elsa's leg. "I caught you!?" She shouted happily in disbelief.

"Oh no!" Elsa acted as if she was sad, "The brave little warrior caught me!" She said dramatically and placed a hand on her heart and laughed.

Merida laughed aloud and no longer felt sad, "You think I'm a brave warrior!?" She asked excitedly.

Elsa smirked at her and knelt at her eye level, "The bravest." She said with a gentle voice.

Merida clapped her hands happily and pounced at Elsa with a hug.

Elsa gratefully hugged back with a warm smile. She suddenly smirked again, "That makes the tag on you again." She informed jokingly.

Merida gasped and let go before she quickly tapped Elsa's nose, "Nope!" She said and turned to run.

Elsa shook her head in amusement and ran towards the kids while laughing with a carefree heart.

Everyone around from the villagers watched _The Ice Princess_ laugh, run and play with the kids, in surprise and awe. They smiled fondly at her and some even stopped what they were doing just to enjoy the scene.

After a while, the kids were tired and couldn't run anymore, and it turns out, Elsa won the game.

"That is so unfair! You were much faster than any of us!" Zoey said, not sadly.

Elsa shrugged her shoulders and smirked.

"Well!" Zoey said with an evil smile, "Let's see how good you are in Hide and Seek!"

Elsa's face turned confused. What was hide and seek? It sounded familiar. She might had used to play with it with her sister, Anna.

"You start first!" Zoey said, pointing at Elsa. "Count from one to fifty!"

Elsa's eyes widened and she gulped nervously. She didn't even know the numbers, how the hell could she then count?!

"What?" Zoey asked confused, feeling Elsa's distress.

"I uh…" Elsa felt utterly embarrassed. How could she tell the kids that she couldn't count?!

"I'll start!" Lori said and raised a hand.

"Okay!" Everyone agreed and Elsa felt completely relieved.

"We'll hide and you seek!" Zoey said and made Lori turn so the girl could face a tree. "Now count from one to fifty!... No peeking!" Zoey informed.

Lori nodded and closed her eyes with her hands. "One…" She started counting.

Everyone gasped and quickly ran to hide.

Zoey grabbed Elsa dress, "Follow me! I know the perfect place!" She said and Elsa nodded excitedly.

"Come on, come on! This way!" She said and took Elsa behind the stables. "In here!" She said and pointed at the huge pile of hay.

Elsa and Zoey quickly ran to the hay and hide inside it.

After a while, "Fifty!" Lori's shout was heard, "Ready or not, here I come!" She sing-songed and started searching.

"Zoey! Elsa!... Come out, come out wherever you aaaaree!" Lori called and started approaching the stables.

Zoey gasped a bit, "She's on to us!" She said urgently. "Come on! This way!" She said and pulled Elsa with her and out from the hay. She then pushed aside another pile of hay at the corner, to reveal a spot that led outside the fort and into the woods, "Anna showed me this when we were playing hide and seek with Rapunzel! She said she used to use it when they were little." Zoey explained with a whisper and went through the hole then turned to Elsa from the other side and motioned for her to come. "Come on, Elsa!" She called quietly.

Elsa bit her lip, not sure that they should get out from the fort.

"Elsaaaa!" Lori's voice was much closer this time and Elsa had her decision. She quickly crawled her way inside and got out from the other side to join Zoey.

They then laughed with each other then turned to be faced with trees of the woods all over the place. It was so wonderful for Elsa to breath in the fresh air from the woods. The smell of the trees and fresh grass was calming and relaxing. The sounds of the leaves brushed by the wind was even more soothing. The sight was magnificent.

"Looks like summer is ending and fall is coming." Zoey said and saw how very few of the leaves were brown and yellow. "We are in august now! Only a month left and all of this will be orange and brown! And we'll be playing in piles and piles of leaves! It's so much fun! You'll see!" Zoey said while pointing at the trees. She then saw Elsa's look of awe and excitement and how she was enjoying just the look of the woods. Zoey smiled, "Come on! Let's go!" She said and pulled Elsa's dress again.

Elsa allowed Zoey to drag her into the woods and laughed a bit at the girl's excitement, "Where are we going?" She asked through her laugh.

"We're just gonna play here between the trees! It's a much better Hide and Seek in here!" Zoey replied. "I used to play with Anna here all the time!" After a while, of playing and running in the woods, Zoey ran to a tree and turned to Elsa, "Your turn to seek!" She said.

Elsa's eyes widened in worry, "Zoey… I-I can't." She confessed, winced a bit and wrapped her arms around her middle, feeling humiliated and readying herself for Zoey's reaction.

"What do you mean you can't?" Zoey asked and approached her, "Anyone can count an-"

"No, Zoey!... I really _can't_!" Elsa said sadly louder but Zoey was still confused.

Seeing the surprised look on Zoey's face, Elsa sighed, "I don't know how." She clarified and lowered her head. She knew that Zoey's reaction was about to be Laughter, but she was surprised when Zoey spoke.

Zoey made an 'Oh' and felt remorseful for the princess. "But… Aren't princesses supposed to know everything?" She asked innocently.

Elsa sighed, "I'm not a princess, Zoey." She said sadly.

Zoey was surprised, "Y-You're not?... But Anna said-"

"I know... What Anna said." Elsa cut her off, "But… I'm just not a princess, Zoey." She paused and looked away, "I can never be."

"What? But isn't your daddy The King of Arendelle?" Zoey asked confused.

Elsa winced at the reminder of her father, "Y-Yes… He is."

Zoey's face brightened, "Then that makes you a princess!" She said happily.

Elsa stayed silent. She wouldn't tell a little girl that she was a murderer and that she was never even a princess. How could she tell her that she was only The Monster of Arendelle? For that, she didn't utter a word and kept her head down.

Zoey watched her in confusion and scratched her head. Her face suddenly lit up and she gasped happily as an idea poked her head, "How about I teach you to count!" She suggested.

Elsa lifted her head and turned to look at the girl in surprise, "You-… You would do that for me?!" She asked in disbelief.

"Of course!" Zoey confirmed happily, "Then we can play Hide and Seek together! Here, let us start from one to ten." She sat cross-legged in front of Elsa and tapped the ground in front of her, motioning for Elsa to sit.

Elsa knelt then sat cross-legged too, in front of the girl.

"Okay… So let's start easy." She said and fidgeted in her seat, "Repeat after me."

Elsa nodded.

Zoey held one hand up, keeping four fingers hidden and her thumb up, "This is One!"

"One." Elsa repeated, watching Zoey's fingers carefully.

"This is Two…" Zoey said and allowed her index to show.

"Two…" Elsa said with a smile as her face started to brighten and she mimicked Zoey's fingers with her own, holding two fingers in front of herself.

"Three… Four…" Zoey continued, adding a finger with each number and Elsa did the same as she repeated after her, keeping herself pretty concentrated.

"And Five!" Zoey finished her first hand and held her small hand in front of Elsa's face to show her.

Elsa looked at Zoey's hand then at hers. Why did Zoey's number five have an additional finger?

Zoey correctly held five fingers in front of Elsa's face but Elsa mistakenly had four fingers.

Elsa frowned and Zoey laughed. "Try again, Elsa!" Zoey encouraged as she laughed.

Elsa closed her hand again and started all over, "One…Two…" She lifted two fingers, "Three… F-… Four?" She asked adding another two fingers and Zoey nodded excitedly.

Elsa looked at her hand and opened her five fingers wide, "Five!" She finished excitedly and held her five fingers correctly in front of Zoey's face while smiling radiantly as if she just accomplished her best challenge.

Zoey clapped her hands happily and cheered, "Yeaaaay! See?! It wasn't so bad!"

"What's next!?" Elsa asked enthusiastically, wanting to know more.

"Okay… Now with the other five fingers. From six to ten." Zoey kept her five fingers up and held a single finger with her other hand, "Now this is Six!" She informed.

Elsa did the same with both of her hands and stared carefully at them, with a tongue stuck at the corner of her mouth, "Six." She repeated.

"Yup!" Zoey nodded, "Then comes Seven… And Eight." She said and added two fingers.

Elsa did the same and she frowned since things are turning harder. "Six… Seven… Eight." She said, giving a single nod at each number.

"Nine… And finally Ten!" Zoey finished and held her hands, open wide, in front of Elsa. "Okay… Now your turn!"

Elsa stared at her hands for a moment, registering what Zoey just taught her before she started all over again, "One, two, three… f-four, five." She said and held a hand up, then looked over at Zoey for confirmation.

Zoey nodded and motioned for her to continue.

Elsa then took a deep breath before she continued nervously, scared that she might get the numbers wrong, "Six… Sven-"

"Seven." Zoey corrected.

"Seven…" Elsa repeated and now had seven fingers held up, "Eight, n-nine?... A-And ten?" She finished and held her hands up.

Zoey pounced happily on the ground, "That's right! You got it!" She cheered and started laughing.

Elsa's face turned into pure joy and she shouted happily, "I got it!"

"Okay, okay…" Zoey said again seriously and looked Elsa right in the eyes, "If you want to count to fifty for the Hide and Seek, all what you need to do, is to repeat those ten fingers, five time!... Do you know how much is five?" She quizzed teasingly and raised one eyebrow.

With a wide smile, Elsa quickly and confidently held one wide hand up.

"That's right!" Zoey squealed and jumped on her feet. "Okay! Now we can play! Are you ready!?"

Elsa stood and nodded.

"On that tree!" Zoey said and pointed at a large Oak Tree.

Elsa ran to the tree and turned to hide her eyes, "Should I start!?" She called out.

"Yes!" Zoey called back.

"One…!" Elsa started and Zoey quickly scurried out to the woods to hide.

After a moment, Elsa finally reached number Ten the fifth time. "Ten!" She shouted and turned to try and find Zoey but saw no one. She smirked and started searching between the trees and bushes. "Zoeyyy!" She called with a sing-song as she looked behind a tree but frowned when she saw no one.

She turned her head to the other side and stayed silent so she could listen. After a minute of hearing the whispers of the wind, Elsa heard a giggle. She smirked and followed the sound, knowing that Zoey couldn't hide from her anymore. "I can hear youuu!" She sing-songed and heard a light gasp.

She turned to the sound of the gasp and saw Zoey's tip of her shoes inside the bushes.

Elsa bit her lip and slightly tip-toed her way to Zoey. She made playful claws with her hands and quickly pushed the bushes for a surprised reveal, "GOTCHA!" She shouted and found Zoey knelt under the bushes.

Zoey squealed in delight and tried to run but Elsa caught her. "I won!" She said and Zoey laughed aloud the more and more.

"That's not fair! How were you able to hear me?!" Zoey asked while she laughed.

Seeing Zoey so happy, Elsa couldn't help but to laugh herself.

But then! Elsa heard something. She quickly stopped her laughs and her face turned serious as she tried to listen. "Wait." She told Zoey.

Zoey slowly stopped her laughs but kept giggling.

"SHH!" Elsa shushed again urgently, still looking around in the empty woods and realized that they went far away from the fort.

Seeing Elsa's serious face, Zoey stopped her laughter and tried to look around too. "What is it?" Zoey asked a bit worriedly.

"Do you hear that?" Elsa asked as she looked around.

The two stayed silent, trying to listen. Then they both heard it. Singing. Multiple voices singing, joined with sword clangs and laughter, but the sounds were faint and a bit far.

"Over there!" Zoey pointed at a small hill with a boulder on top.

Before Elsa could catch her, Zoey ran. "Zoey, wait!" Elsa called with an urgent whisper but Zoey turned at her excitedly, "Come on, Elsa! Let's see what it is!"

Elsa quickly followed her and both were now trying to follow the noises.

The more they approached the boulder the more the voices and the noises became much clearer.

Elsa felt her heart race in worry but also excitement and eagerness to know who was making those noises.

The two girls slowly approached the boulder, then knelt and hid behind it before they slightly poked their heads from above it so they could see.

They gasped a bit as they saw the scene in front of them.

A big camping site was placed from the other side of the hill. Tents were placed, horses were hitched, fires were lit and Men and woman were singing and laughing. They were all wearing armors and weapons. Some sat around the fire and laughed and drank wine. Some were training with the swords, and some were training with bows and arrow. But the most important thing that caught both girl's attention was the singing. Everyone was singing the same song as they did what they were doing while some were playing instruments like the lute and the flute.

Two men were fighting with swords and started the song.

_Born of cold and winter air _

_And mountain rain combining_

The crowd that sat around the fire joined.

_Her icy force both foul and rare_

_She has a frozen heart worth mining_

Elsa furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, not understanding the song yet. But Zoey, she had the most excited face a child could master.

A man with the bow aimed at a straw human figure and shot the arrow right in the chest.

_Cut through her heart_

_Stop the cold_

Elsa winced and cowered a bit as the arrow hit its straw target.

Everyone started singing in unison, men and women.

_Strike for your land_

_And strike for her death_

_See her beauty drained from flaws_

_Split her ice apart_

_Destroy her frozen heart!_

Some started to dance with each other while the others watched.

"Beautiful!" A man called and raised his cup.

"Powerful!" A woman joined.

"Dangerous!" A man slashed the hay figure with his sword.

"And COLD!" Everyone shouted in unison.

_Ice has a magic that She control!_

A man stood and raised his sword, "Stronger than one!"

Another man stood next to him and did the same, "Stronger than ten!"

A woman came in between them and rested her elbows on each man's shoulder, "Stronger than a hundred men!"

"HYA!" Everyone shouted again and continued singing.

Elsa and Zoey were now watching in awe and excitement as women and men sang and danced happily with each other, ignoring the weapons and the pitch forks and the torches laying around. Zoey even tried to sing with them.

_Born of cold and winter air_

_And mountain rain combining_

_Her icy force both foul and rare_

_She has a frozen heart worth mining_

_Cut through her heart_

_Stop her curse_

_Strike for your land and strike for her death_

_We'll see her sharp eyes full with fear_

Everyone stood around the huge fire pit and raised either their sword, spear, pitchfork, bow, dagger, torch or club. And the next words of the song made Elsa's face turn from pure happiness, to pure horror as they were finally understood.

_Thaw all of Arendelle_

_Beware The Snow Queen's heart!_

* * *

**Sorry about the late update. Been feeling lazy :P**


	38. Blinded By Fear

**Okay… Since it was greatly demanded. And since people threatened my life! XD I thought that I should post this last chapter before I go on to vacation. :)**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXXV: Blinded By Fear

"U-Uhm… Elsa?" Zoey started, feeling suddenly afraid after hearing the last words, "I-Isn't Arendelle… Your father's kingdom?" She asked and turned to look at Elsa, to see the princess's eyes were wide and her face showed utter worry.

Elsa was now staring at the swords, the pitchforks, the arrows that pieced the straw figure, the ropes, the chains! Oh god, the chains. _They wanna hurt me... They are all after me! Why did I run away?! Why didn't I return to my cellar?! They-… They'll find Anna… They find them all! They hurt them all because of me!_

Zoey's eyes widened, "E-Elsa… You're trembling! Are you okay?!" She whispered but Elsa started shaking her head.

"No…" Elsa whispered, "Zoey… We have to go back right away!... Quickly!" She urgently whispered and quickly led Zoey out from the scene and down the hill.

As the two girls ran their way back into the woods, the sounds of the singing and the hunters' voices faded bit by bit. In both girls' panic, they didn't focus on the road and only concentrated on getting as far away from the hunters' camp. When they reached the inside of the woods again, where they were playing, Elsa turned to Zoey while panting, "Alright, Zoey… W-Where's the fort from here?" She asked trying to act calm but her quivering voice betrayed her.

Zoey looked around and was pretty nervous, "U-uh… I… I…"

"Where is it Zoey?! Which way?!" Elsa asked, starting to panic and fearing the worst.

Zoey darted her head around the trees, but they all seemed familiar to her, "I… I-I don't know!"

Elsa brought a hand through her hair in distress. She looked around trying to decide which way they should go.

"I-It's all my fault!" Zoey cried, "I shouldn't have gotten us out of the fort like that! I should have just let Lori find us! I-I'm so sorry, Elsa! I'm sorry!" Tears started streaming down the scared girl's cheeks and she started to sob.

Elsa brought Zoey closer to her, "N-No no! Don't cry… I-It wasn't your fault. We… We just need to find the fort. W-We'll find it! Don't worry." Elsa tried to keep her calm even though she was roasting worries inside herself and her face clearly showed that she was scared.

Elsa looked around again and decided to go to the left. "We'll just go this way and-…" She felt a lump in her throat, "A-And hopefully we'll find it."

The two girls then entered the woods again, hoping that they would either find the fort, or that Anna and the others would find them.

* * *

Seconds turned to minutes, minutes turned to hours and Morning turned to Night. Both girls were starving and were feeling extremely anxious. They didn't know that both needed each other's courage or else they would probably break. Zoey was clutching tightly to Elsa's dress and leg and Elsa was hugging herself. The night was cold and Zoey started to shiver, but not Elsa. And since the older girl was anxious and scared, her body was even colder than the night's temperature itself, giving no warmth to the poor younger and shivering girl.

As they walked-randomly- together in the dark woods with only the moonlight to light their way, both girls could already feel eyes on them. Elsa gulped and looked around nervously. She could hear the singing of the crickets, the sounds of the owls and the cry of the lonely wolf, luckily far away, but it didn't make things any better.

A twig snapped.

"E-Elsa… I'm… I-I'm scared." Zoey said as she shivered and tried to hug herself for warmth and didn't know that her companion was even more scared than she was.

"D-Don't worry…" Elsa tried to reassure as she trembled but not from the cold, "W-We'll find a way."

"Oh will you, Snow Queen?" A rough man's voice suddenly called.

Before either girl could react, four figures, two huge men and one that looked young and thin, with the fourth one who was a woman, suddenly charged towards them with weapons raised, causing both girls to gasp in horror. Zoey shrieked as she was pushed and pulled away from Elsa.

"No!" Elsa screamed as she tried to reach for Zoey but a man blocked her way and she gasped loudly in terror backing away, nearly falling.

"Stay behind me, child! You're safe now!" The woman told Zoey and tried to keep her behind her back as she pointed her sword at Elsa and watched her carefully, but Zoey kept struggling in her grip.

"No, leave me alone!" Zoey yelled.

Elsa's head darted incredibly fast at the three men that surrounded her and she started to visibly tremble terribly while her heart thrummed faster than lightning. _No no no! Please no! _She felt it again. That huge amount of fear that could practically make her faint. The fear she used to feel in her cellar, but somehow this one seemed so much worse.

"Kidnapping a child, Snow Queen?" A man said with a wicked grin.

Elsa shook her head in confusion before a rope suddenly lassoed her right wrist.

Elsa flinched and whimpered as she tried to pull violently on the rope. Another rope caught her other wrist and the men tried to restrain her as they laughed at her failing struggles against the ropes. "No! Please, no!" Elsa cried. Unfortunately, the men were tougher and they pulled her violently, causing her to stumble to the dirt.

Elsa fought back a groan as she fell to the ground, her eyes were clenched tight in pain as she rolled onto her stomach, favoring her side and trying to forget the pain that throbbed in her shoulder. Adrenaline and fear rushed in her veins. She shook her head and pushed the dizziness away and looked up to try and look for Zoey.

Zoey struggled hard in the woman's grip before she was finally successful and she quickly scrambled to Elsa's side and helped her up on her feet. Elsa clutched Zoey closer protectively as they stared at the four intruders.

"Well what do we have here?" A man sneered.

Elsa could already feel for the first time that someone was afraid just as she was, and was vulnerable just as she was, probably even more. Without having a second thought, she grabbed Little Zoey by her hand and made her stand behind her, shielding her from any harm and fearfully darting her eyes around the hunters. "U-Use your powers, E-Elsa…!" Zoey whispered fearfully as she hid behind Elsa, but the princess seemed deaf.

_Don't feel! Don't freeze! _Elsa's mind screamed.

"Looks like someone already beat us to you, Snow Queen." The second man said as he eyed her bandages, scars and injuries, and the scar that lined her left eyebrow diagonally didn't give her the innocent look at all. "Looks like they were successful in wounding you… But weren't, in killing you."

Then all of a sudden, Elsa eyes shot wide when she heard it: The rattling of chains. She knew it! Oh god she knew it! The dreadful sounds of her past life that had accompanied her all the time in her cellar. They were going to chain her again and would hurt and hurt and hurt her till her last breath.

Elsa darted her head around, trying to find the one with the chains. Sweat started to form on her forehead, her legs started to lose sense and she started hyperventilating as her pupils dilated causing her vision to go blurry. _No… No! Oh my god, they are going to hurt me! NOOOO! _Elsa went blind by fear.

"E-Elsa?" Zoey asked in concern as she saw how Elsa's face showed pure horror! _What is happening to her?_ She could already see and hear Elsa gasping for air.

_I can't set you free. People will hunt you down and hurt you, Elsa. You are hated by everyone! I'm only doing this for your own good._

Feeling an immense pressure on her chest, Elsa suddenly hunched a bit and held her hands up, cowering, "Please… D-Don't hurt me! Stay away!" Elsa cried, still trying to find those chains and didn't realize that they were only the sounds of the chains on the intruder's armor.

"You know…" The third man started, looking at her lustfully, "For a vicious Snow Queen, you seem to be pretty good!" He said as he approach her.

Elsa could see the frost forming on her gloves. She gasped, "No! no! no! D-Don't feel! Don't f-feel! Stop! Please, stop!" She whispered to herself and her powers as she desperately tried to brush off the frost off her gloves as her vision went blurrier which each passing second.

"What's wrong, Witch? You seem to be having problems." A man mocked as he saw Elsa's terror-stricken eyes losing focus on them and staring at the ground while she was talking to herself, still hyperventilating. "The song seemed to be true… See her sharp eyes full with fear!"

Elsa whimpered as she fell to her knees, not able to breathe, not able to see.

"Elsa!" Zoey knelt next to her in concern. She never ever saw Elsa in such a state. The look on Elsa's horrified face was shocking. "She can't breathe!" Zoey cried and noticed how Elsa's once bright cyan eyes were now dull.

One of the men laughed, "Don't worry. She won't be after we're done with her!"

"P-PLEASE PLEASE! JUST DON'T H-HURT ME!" Elsa begged with a scream, as she started experiencing her panic attack in the worst time and in the worst case. She inhaled loudly, finally having air into her lungs but continued hyperventilating.

"Why wouldn't we hurt you, witch!?" The woman said, "A monster like you have cursed our land! Have you no heart?! How could you do this to a whole kingdom!? With your curse, you're trying to kill us! Trying to kill our children! We will have no sympathy!"

Elsa brought her hands to her ears, "NO! I'M NOT A MURDERER! PLEAAASE! I'M NOT!" Elsa's tears started streaming down.

"You are!" The young man accused, glaring at Elsa.

_I AM! I AM! I AM! _Elsa thought as she clutched the dress's bodice where her thrumming heart laid, feeling pain inside her chest.

"Stop saying that to her!" Zoey yelled at them angrily. "She's not a heartless witch!... Y-YOU ARE!" Zoey tried to be brave.

One of the bulky men roared with laughter, "She's a feisty one!" He said, reaching out a filth covered hand towards Zoey while his other hand held a dagger. "Come here, you little brat!"

Elsa knew that this was hopeless for her but knew that Zoey had a chance if she would help her. She knew that the men only wanted her and not Zoey. Having her last drop of willpower and courage, trying to fight back her panic episode, she mumbled something to Zoey.

Zoey turned at her confused, "W-What?"

Before the man could touch Zoey, Elsa lunged herself between the man and Zoey and pushed the little girl away, "RUN!" She yelled and Zoey looked a bit confused and didn't wanted to leave Elsa, "I SAID RUUUUUUNN!" Elsa cried again as she clutched her head between her hands and fell to the ground again, feeling that her head was about to explode from her sudden terrible headache.

With tears running down her cheeks, Zoey shot up to her feet and started to run.

"Get her!" The young man said to the woman, knowing that the little girl would be safe with her.

Zoey ran as fast as she could but the woman ran after her and was much faster. "Child! You can't go out there alone! The woods are dark and there's a lot of danger out there! Stay with me so I could take you back to your parents."

"No!" Zoey only struggled and tried to hit the woman.

Elsa heard Zoey's cry, "Zoey!" She called miserably, looking around trying to find the little girl but there was nothing but blur and she tried to blink it away but that only caused her more headache.

"Elsa!" Zoey cried.

_Where is she!? Where is she_!? But Elsa couldn't see anything.

The three men circled Elsa like predators who were about to lunge at their helpless, wounded prey. Elsa slowly and shakily stood and backed away from the blurry figure in front of her, only for her back to hit the second man and with a loud whimper of fear, she whipped her body towards the second blurry figure who was laughing at her panicking and frightened behaviour as she started quickly backing away again, until she lost her balance and fell back to the dirt on her knees from dizziness, feeling her world swirl upside down.

"You seem to be a bit clumsy, Snow Queen." The first man mocked with a smirk, "I'm claiming the blonde as mine… You three can decide on the brat!" The first man snapped as he pushed Elsa with his feet and made her fall backwards on her back with a yelp.

"What?!" The other bulky man shouted. "Why do you get to choose first?" He demanded.

Elsa rolled on her stomach as she winced in fear. _I have to run! I have to find Zoey! I have to get away! They are going to hurt me! I HAVE TO GET AWAY! _She was trying to crawl away from the men, but one of the bulky men stepped at the end of rope that still clutched her wrist tightly and stopped her from going further. "Going somewhere, Witch?" He said.

Zoey glared at all of them as she struggled again in the woman's grip, "If you lay a hand on us, you'll have to face my friends, Anna and Aiden!" She tried to intimidate.

All three men laughed, "Oh did you hear that? She thinks her _friends_ can handle us!" The youngest of the three men jeered with a twisted look on his face.

"I don't see them anywhere!" The biggest man smirked arrogantly, shrugging his shoulders. He suddenly threw himself towards Elsa and shoved her up on her trembling feet, using the rope on her wrist.

"N-NO!... S-Stay away from me!" Elsa screamed, closing her eyes shut as she tried to pull aggressively from his grip. The scene was too familiar to her and she really couldn't see from her blurry, bloodshot eyes.

"NO! Let her go, please!" Zoey wept as tears streamed down her cheeks, "She's my friend!"

Elsa cried and whimpered, as she was snatched violently towards the disgusting man. She stumbled; falling against his chest, a putrid stench instantly assaulted her nose as she tried to wrench her wrist free. His fingers were already tucked beneath the skin of her arm as he dragged her back towards him. "AH!" Elsa screamed aloud as her wrist was twisted painfully against her back, feeling that her broken arm was sending scorching waves of pain. She was feeling pain again; She was losing herself as her mind was in utter confusion, fear and dread. She was no longer in the forest. She was back in her cellar. She started to cry aloud as tears streamed down her cheeks, knowing that she was about to feel real pain. _Please! Please! Please!_ She prayed and prayed.

"STOP IT, PLEASE! You're hurting her!" Zoey pleaded again, seeing the pained face of Elsa.

"Child… Just look away." The woman gently and worriedly told her as she tried to turn Zoey.

"You smell so good," The man hissed into Elsa's ear as he skimmed his nose along her exposed neck, with a muffled cry she tried to jerk away from him, but to no avail. He only proceeded to twist her arm in a painful manner. Her heart was really about to burst out. "Aren't you going to use your magic to chill me out?" He teased disgustingly.

"You know that's not really necessary! Just kill her already!" The woman said as she finally was able to turn Zoey who was crying and sobbing none stop, feeling that all of this was inevitable.

Only Zoey was able to feel the extremely and unnatural cold temperature, since the others were wearing thick leather armors.

"My turn next!" The second bulky man announced wickedly with a grin.

The woman rolled her eyes at her companion's disgusting behavior.

"Please… Please… D-Don't..." Elsa mumbled sorrowfully with a whisper as she closed her eyes, but a sudden new wave of dread assaulted her mind and she started to struggle from her panic, "NO! NO! NO! LET ME GOOOOO!" She kicked and trashed her hands violently at the man.

"What the heck!" The man tried to keep her still, surprised by her sudden outburst.

Elsa fist accidently contacted his jaw and he yelled in anger, feeling the frost on his beard. "WHY YOU…!"

He grunted in annoyance, his temper quickly flaring, "I'll make quick work of you!" He snapped as pulled the noose of his pants free with his other hand. "Then I'll rip your heart out and take it to the king! He'll be excited to give me my money!"

_No, no, no, no, NOOOO!_ Elsa's mind screamed. She just knew it. People were all alike. She could never trust them.

Elsa tried desperately to pull away and tears welled in her eyes as she heard his ruffle of his pants crumbling to the ground at his ankles. She was then unceremoniously forced to the ground onto her back. She struggled against his grip as he crawled on top of her, capturing a few precious locks of platinum hair into his fists, as she cried out in pain. "ANNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Elsa shrieked as tears spilled from the corner of her eyes. The man only laughed cruelly as he compelled her arms onto the ground.

Elsa's desperate shriek was so loud that they all swore it would have pierced their ears and it sent shivers down Zoey's and the woman's spine.

"WHAT THE FUCK, GUNNER!? Just kill her!" The woman yelled, starting to feel extremely uncomfortable and horrified. "I-I think she already had enough!" She said eyeing Elsa's bandages and scars.

"Gunner… This really isn't necessary!" The youngest of the men said, knowing this was too cruel, even for a witch.

"Shut your yaps, you two! I've been having a lot of fun with women, but having a chance with a beautiful Snow Queen like her is a lifetime chance." He said as he laughed wickedly.

"Why are you having such sympathy for the witch, boy?" The second bulky man who held a sword said as he watched the helpless _Snow Queen_ in amusement. "You'll have your turn."

The young man spat at him, "You bastard! I didn't mean it like that! This won't do no good! Just… Just kill her and it will end the curse. That's what the king said, remember? That's all what we need."

The two bulky men only rolled their eyes.

The woman squeezed Zoey tighter to her and closed the little girl's eyes with her hand and she turned away too, "It's alright… Y-Your safe now. She won't hurt you again." The woman assured as she felt nervous, having a strong and strange sense that all of them were somehow wronging this _Snow Queen_. Why did she even feel sympathetic to this witch? She had cursed their land! Of course she shouldn't have felt any remorse for her. Since the witch didn't give them any mercy, why should they? The king himself said that she was the one who caused the winter, and of course everyone, without any doubt, trusted their king.

Zoey shook her head miserably, "S-She's not a witch!... S-She's really nice! She didn't hurt me! Please… Just let them stop! Let them leave her alone! She didn't do anything!" She muffled as she buried her head in the woman's waist.

Elsa felt as if she was right inside her nightmare. Her body stiffened as her eyes were wide but she was staring at nowhere in particular as visions of this familiar scene flashed in her mind: Mad's restrains, her father's whips and her screams.

"JUST KILL HER ALREADY!" The youngest man screamed, not wanting to watch any cruel fates like the one that was about to happen. "She's not even struggling!" He said in shock as he saw Elsa's stiff and immobile body and how her eyes were staring and watching something only she could see. _What the heck is happening to her?_

The man above Elsa smirked, "It makes it easier for me." He said wickedly.

"S-Stop… Stop… Please… P-Please…" Elsa mumbled to someone… Somewhere.

"You know… You really are strange as they say." The other man said, kneeling next to her and looking at Elsa's wide cyan eyes and bright hair.

"Oh! I like that…" The man above Elsa said, "Alright now… How about we ha-" Before he could finish his sentence and spill sins on her…

"HOLY SHIT!" The man that knelt next to Elsa yelled and suddenly was pushed away by something that Elsa couldn't see at all and he started for an unknown reason screaming in pain and sounds of yells were heard.

"Elsa!" Anna's voice came out in the open woods. A sound of a drawn bow was heard, followed by a swift sound of a flying arrow, then…

The body above Elsa suddenly collapsed on top of her like a dead weight as Elsa's cry was muffled by his leather clad shoulder, but the snaring hold on her wrists slackened. She finally regained her focus, only to be greeted with the man's wide lifeless, fearful eyes and an arrow impaled its way through the man's throat, dripping blood on her cheek from the arrow shaft. She quickly ripped her arms free, trying to shove the limp body off, to her surprise it was lighter then thought. Her chest rose and fell with labored breaths; her cheeks tear and blood stained. She felt a warm wetness seep through her dress. Trembling, she looked down to see her once green dress was marred red with blood; crimson splatters covered her arms and face. Daring a look at the lifeless body at her side, she saw the puddle of dark red liquid forming around his impaled throat. She lifted her head to see Anna slowly lowering her bow and with a face full with concern and fear.

Aiden ran at the other man and tackled him to the ground. "WHY YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He yelled and started punching him as hard as he could, "HOW… DARE… YOU… TOUCH… HER!" He yelled with every punch, sending cracking sounds from the now-limp and bloody face of the man. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" He yelled with an uncontrollable rage and gripped the now-dead man's throat.

Flynn and Kristoff quickly ran at him and tried to shove him off the limp man.

Rapunzel and several other guild members, were holding torches to light their way. Part of the members, with Tyler, went to point and intimidate the third young man and the other part, with Rapunzel and Zoey's parents, rounded the woman holding the little girl. "Zoey!" Zoey's parents called in concern.

"Leave her alone!" Rapunzel yelled, pointing the crossbow at the woman.

With a fearful, confused and surprised face, the woman let go of Zoey and held her hand up. "What are you doing?! The Snow Queen will run away!" The woman asked bewildered.

"Rapunzel! Mommy! Daddy!" Zoey called happily as tears stained her entire face. She quickly ran and wrapped her arms around her parents legs as she was embraced by the two worried parents that were now feeling utterly relieved. Zoey then ran to Rapunzel and hugged her.

Rapunzel hugged Zoey back and ignored the woman's plea. She motioned for the guild members to tie the woman up.

"Zoey what were you doing in the woods with that… Ice Princess!? I told you not to be with her!" Zoey's father scolded, feeling furious at Elsa.

"Daddy, you don't understand! She saved me, Daddy! She saved me! A bad man tried to hurt me but she threw herself between us and told me to run! They then hurt her, D-Daddy! She was in pain! I-I-It was all my fault!" Zoey started to cry and buried her face in her father's chest. Her parents' eyes shot wide in shock as they hugged her back protectively, feeling guilty and apologetic for Elsa. The Ice Princess had saved their daughter. The two parents exchanged looks, knowing that they might have judged Elsa too soon, and they felt stupid for quickly falling for rumors. _She saved her?!_ Zoey's father thought in surprise.

"Is Elsa dangerous now, Mister?" Rapunzel said, a bit angry at Zoey's parents.

The youngest man stared fearfully at Tyler, "Please, just don't hurt us! We were just doing as we were told!" Before the young man could continue, Tyler mercilessly fired the crossbow at him and the shaft impaled the poor young man's chest and he fell limp in a puddle of blood. "We don't need any witnesses to the fort, now don't we?" He said to the dead body with a smirk.

Elsa was still traumatized and didn't even understand what was happening. Her entire dress was covered in blood, but luckily not hers. She finally realized that there was a dead man at her side and she quickly crawled away from him with a whimper, her mind bewildered, lost and still in utter shock and _panic_.

"Elsa?!" Anna ran to her with a concerned face. "Oh my god! Are you okay?! Did he-" Anna knelt at her side, her bow with one hand and the other tried to remove the ropes around Elsa wrists, but Elsa's body stiffened hard and she cried, "No! Stay back! Don't touch me!" She yelled and flinched away, crawling on the ground backwards, darting her eyes around as if she was trying to find the one who just touched her, even though Anna was right in front of her.

And poor Anna didn't know that Elsa couldn't see at all, having her eyes blurry and blinded from her panic.

Anna had wide, shocked eyes as she saw how much Elsa was terrified and she knew that this damn experience just ruined all of Elsa's healing progress and caused too much damage.

"Elsa… W-What's wrong? It's just me… Anna." Anna said feeling utterly heartbroken. _Oh please don't! Please don't! _She hoped and hoped that Elsa wouldn't be scared of her, or from humans all over again.

Elsa shook her head as her chest rose and fell fast for air and her breath quivered. Her voice fell silent, her mouth running dry as a lump formed in her throat, she held back the fresh tears that threatened to fall, "T-They wanted to hurt me… They want to hurt me!" The traumatized princess fearfully said to this blurry figure in front of her, "They wanted to… k-k-kill me!"

"It's alright, Elsa… Calm down now…" Anna tried to sooth, seeing how Elsa was trembling like a leaf.

"So many… So many!" Elsa cried again and confused Anna even more.

"What?... So many what?! Elsa, please just stay calm, I know what you're experiencing now. You need to stay calm!" Anna said in concern.

After they tied the woman, Rapunzel and the rest of the guild members-accompanied with Aiden, Flynn, Kristoff and Zoey- ran to Anna and Elsa to check if the princess was okay which clearly showed she wasn't.

"Elsa!" Zoey called happily, knowing that Anna saved her friend from those bad men.

"Elsa! Are you alright!?" Aiden and the others said in unison as they all approached Elsa in worry.

Elsa saw multiple figures coming at her with her wide bloodshot eyes, "NO!" She cried and quickly stood to run away, but the moment she was on her feet, she felt extremely faint, dizzy and weak and she stumbled back to the ground.

"Wow, be careful!... Elsa, stop! You're still dizzy! You should stay put a bit until it passes!" Anna tried to clarify.

Elsa shook her head, not even understanding the muffled and confusing voices. She curled up in a ball on the ground, feeling vulnerable and knowing that she was about to be hurt again. With an old habit, she closed her eyes and hid her face behind her gloved hands. "S-S-STAY BACK!" She shrieked again.

"Get back for fuck' sake! She's still in shock!" Anna yelled angrily at everyone and they all stopped in their tracks and stared with worried, surprised and concerned eyes at Elsa, seeing her all covered in blood.

Rapunzel saw Elsa shaking and she removed her cloak to lend it for Anna, so she could put it around Elsa, "Try to calm her down!" Rapunzel said.

"I CAN'T EVEN TOUCH HER!" Anna snapped in her own panic, feeling extremely frustrated. She was. Completely. Pissed off. She sighed rubbing her temples, feeling regretful for yelling at everyone. "Give it here." She said gently and took the cloak from a surprised Rapunzel.

Anna very slowly approached Elsa, holding the cloak in her hand, "Elsa… They are gone now. None of them will hurt you again. You're safe. We stopped them from hurting you." Anna tried to talk to her but Elsa kept trembling and her hands were still on her face. She knew that Elsa had faced too much stress today. Stress when they were lost in the woods and then when they were attacked. If a single word like 'Monster' had caused Elsa's panic episode to trigger, so what say for a whole day of stress and anxiety? Elsa's mind probably wanted to explode!

The tied woman watched in utter shock as a lot of people were concerned for The Snow Queen… The _terrified_ Snow Queen? She could already see that _The Witch_ was acting like any terrified poor girl, and not like a wicked, evil and heartless witch.

Anna slowly sat next to the curled up Elsa and rested cloak on the princess's shivering figure.

With her eyes still closed, Elsa felt something touch her entire body and she gasped squeezing her eyes tighter, not knowing that it was only a cloak. _Go away! Go away!_

Anna lifted her head and exchanged a concerned look with everyone, as if telling them 'See?!'

"P-Pain!… Death!… S-Snow Queen?!... W-W-Why?!" Elsa was talking and mumbling to herself shakily, sounding completely confused.

Anna groaned in rage and turned at the tied woman, "See what you did now?!" She yelled pointing at the curled up, traumatized Elsa at her side.

The woman shook her head in confusion and disbelief, seeing her three now-dead companions. She didn't feel any remorse for the older two men but she felt utterly heartbroken for the young one. "W-We were just trying to do what we were told to! SHE cursed our land! The king said so!"

"That's his daughter, you stupid woman!" Aiden yelled and cut her off, "YOUR Princess! You're hunting his own daughter!"

The woman gave them a ridiculous smirk, not believing any of it. She scoffed, "I don't think it's time for jokes."

"Fuck you!" Rapunzel yelled. "If you're so loyal to your kingdom… I think you wouldn't forget your own princess… Princess Elsa of Arendelle? Does it ring a bell, Dearie?" She asked mockingly.

The woman's eyes slowly went wide as Rapunzel's words sank in. She shook her head in disbelief, "I-It can't be! She's been dead for eight years!" _That can't be her! NO WAY! It can't be her!_

"Well congratulations, darling! You just found out that she wasn't." Flynn mocked.

_This isn't happening! I don't understand! The king said she died!_ "B-But… The King! He said himself that she-"

"Died! We know!" Anna cut her off, "He did a lot more than just saying things." She vaguely said.

"B-But-" The woman tried to talk again. _If this is Princes Elsa... I-It means that she's..._

"Look, Miss, Madame or whatever!" Anna yelled angrily, scooting over towards Elsa protectively, "Your… _King_," She more like spat the word, "Is a. FUCKING. Bastard. LIAR!"

"It doesn't matter now. You'll be dead anyway." Tyler coldly said to the woman.

"No! Please!" The woman begged, "Just explain to me! You have to! You don't understand! I'm-"

"Take her and get rid of her somewhere away from here." Tyler said as he motioned for two guild members to grab the woman.

The two guild members nodded and held the woman from her armpits and dragged her away into the woods, ignoring her cries and begs.

"Waaait!" The woman cried.

"Tyler we can just-" Rapunzel started, feeling that the woman didn't deserve death.

But Tyler held his hand up and stopped her, "I decide what's best for my guild." He said sternly. And that shut everyone up.

"I-I can help you! There's a lot of others after her! You can't stop them all!" The woman suddenly said.

"Snow Queen!... Witch!?... W-… W-…?" Elsa mumbled to herself again as she wrapped her arms around herself defensively.

"You're lying." Tyler flatly said and rolled his eyes.

"No, she's right!" Zoey suddenly exclaimed, "We saw them! Elsa and I saw them! They were many!"

"So many...!" Elsa whispered again, lost in thoughts.

"They were saying something about… about…" Zoey trailed off and gulped, "About hurting Elsa."

"Hurt me!… P-Pain!... Pain!... Not again! Not again!" Elsa and hugged herself and curling even tighter.

Anna gave Elsa a sad look and was on the edge of tears, she slowly brought a hand to wipe Elsa's sweat-covered forehead but Elsa's eyes widened the moment she touched her and she started to panic since her breath quickened all over again, "No. No. Please no!... Get away from meeee!" She yelled and suddenly started thrashing her hands and legs on the ground as if fighting off an invisible enemy.

"Elsa, please! Just stop it!" Anna shouted desperately, tears spilling freely by seeing Elsa like this.

The woman saw how Elsa started to panic again. "Y-You shouldn't touch her!" She informed. "If you do that, she will only panic more." She said probably understanding Elsa's situation.

"OH YEAH!?" Anna yelled, "Well I think that's too late coming from you!" She wanted to punch the woman so hard for her now-helping behavior. "Do you even know what she's been through because of your stupid king?!"

_Why would the king lie!? Where was she all these years!?_ "W-Wait… I have a potion! In my pocket! It will put her to sleep quickly! When she wakes up, she won't remember what happened today! She'll be alright, I swear!" The woman said trying to motion to her pocket with her head.

That grabbed everyone's attention.

"The potion is very rare but I had it for ages now and I have sworn that I would only use it for urgencies. I... I wanted to use it myself... The day my husband died. But... I-I knew that it would have only confused me more and brought me more pain. So I swore not to use it. A-And now… I-I think it's time." The woman said and gave Elsa a remorseful sad look.

Rapunzel and Flynn and some of the others around laughed, "And how are we going to believe that?! It's probably poison!" Rapunzel said, glaring at the woman.

The woman shook her head and glared back, "I'm not a murderer! I was just trying to protect my home from a witch that turned out to be my own monarch! I was only following the king's command and I'm doing it to keep my boy safe before he freezes to death! Please, he's only fourteen. Now take the god damn potion! I promise that it won't kill her, it will only sedate her for a while and erase her memory of the past hours only, but-" She stopped, biting her lip nervously.

"But what?" Kristoff asked.

The woman took a deep breath, "If she experiences the same thing again after taking the potion, her reaction will be much worse than what she is undergoing now. I-It will be bad… Really bad, if you may say. She might even react differently. But it wouldn't be any better than this. Today's memory won't vanish to nowhere. Only buried deep inside her mind to a point that she won't remember any of it. Only if she faces the situation again, will she remember all of this and well…" She pointed at the mumbling Elsa, "You know the rest."

Flynn eyed her carefully, "So if she takes the potion… And if something happens to her like today, she will get back into this condition?" He said pointing at the curled up Elsa.

The woman shrugged, "I really don't know what her exact reaction will be. No one had ever dared use the potion in years. I told you… Her reaction might be different."

"How different?" Aiden asked, squinting his eyes doubtfully at the woman.

The woman groaned in frustration, "How much of 'I don't exactly know' don't you understand?... It's just the legend of the potion! I know nothing else!" She said.

Everyone exchanged unconvinced looks before Anna's desperate and sorrowful voice spoke, "Do it." She said looking at the mumbling, devastated Elsa with teary eyes.

"What?!" Everyone said in unison. "Anna are you sure about this?!" Rapunzel asked.

"Guys, we can't just leave her like this! Look at her!" She said and pointed at the shocked Elsa that was still talking to herself.

The tied woman looked at Elsa in astonishment, "I have never seen such a reaction!" She said before she could stop herself, speaking her mind.

"It's because no one has ever suffered like her before!" Aiden clarified with a glare and confused the woman more and more.

The woman raised an eyebrow, "I still don't understand what you're talking about-"

"We'll just-!" Flynn cut her off, "Tell you later."

"If she lives." Tyler added with a glare.

Rapunzel gave Anna a 'Are you sure?' look and received a determined nod. Rapunzel had second thoughts before she moved towards the woman.

"No! We can't trust her! What if she was lying?!" Aiden held Rapunzel's arm. "She said herself that they were all out here to kill Elsa! And that no one has used the potion in years!"

Rapunzel snatched her arm away and whispered in his ear, "Well, that's about to change... Look at her!" She pointed at Elsa, "Do you think _IF_ she calms down, she will trust any of us again!? It's for her own good, Aiden! Not even Anna can approach her! How the hell do you think we can? Do you think she can live like that?" Her voice came out a bit angry.

Aiden turned to see Elsa and he felt his heart rip in two. They knew they had no choice. He sighed and moved away for Rapunzel to take the potion.

Rapunzel patted his shoulder reassuringly, giving him a small smile. She then moved to the woman.

"In my left pocket." The woman informed.

Rapunzel watched the woman cautiously before she slipped her hand inside the woman's pocket and grabbed something. She pulled her hand out to reveal a vial filled with a violet liquid.

"She should drink all of it for it to work." The woman informed and Rapunzel gave her a skeptical look.

"Are you sure that _this_…" She shook the vial slightly, "Will work?" Rapunzel asked and received an honest nod from the woman. She then turned to Elsa and walked towards the sisters, all eyes on the vial in her hands. She knelt next to Anna and exchanged concerned looks.

"You do know what will happen to you if something went wrong, right?" Anna asked with a glare.

The woman rolled her eyes, "Just give her the vial already!"

Anna then nodded to Rapunzel, took the vial from her and turned to Elsa, "Elsa… Can you hear me?" She gently called.

Elsa didn't respond, only kept staring at something and was lost in thoughts. "Murderer?... Witch?!... Yes… No… Y-Yes, yes… I am… But… So many… W-Want to _hurt_ me…?" She mumbled nonsense as if she had lost her mind.

Anna felt new tears form. She rolled her lips into her mouth and luckily stopped a sob before it could escape. She lifted her head and looked at the boys.

Rapunzel motioned for Flynn and Aiden to come forth, "We need your help. I don't think she'll be calm."

Flynn and Aiden nodded understandably.

Zoey's father quickly turned his daughter around, "Keep your eyes shut, Zoey." He said while looking with sorrowful eyes at the traumatized and shocked Elsa; The woman who saved his daughter's life. He knew that no child should witness whatever Elsa was experiencing, or about to experience. Knowing that he wronged the poor woman by seeing her as a dangerous witch, just added the guilt the more and more. And seeing her in such condition was even worse. _God forgive me._

"Okay, Elsa…" Anna started as she positioned herself to the side of Elsa's head- giving Aiden the place to be above it- so she could pour the liquid into the platinum blonde's mouth. "You need to drink all of it, alright? W-When you wake up… You will be happy again and you won't remember anything of those bad men. You'll be fine." She said a bit unsure but still got no respond.

Anna sighed sadly and nodded to her friends.

With a quick move, Flynn grabbed hold of Elsa's legs and pinned them, not roughly, to the ground and Aiden held Elsa arms.

"NOOOOOOOO! LEAVE ME ALONE! STOOOOPP!" Elsa shrieked with all her might, sending echoes of screams in the woods as she tried to thrash her arms and legs again, "ANNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Elsa, I-I'm right here! I'm right here! Look at me! I'm right here!... O-Oh my god…!" Anna was beyond shocked and terrified as she tried to sooth her and assure her that she was here and that she would never leave her alone, by caressing her head, desperately trying to keep her tears from spilling.

Elsa only shot her eyes open, only seeing more blurry figures before she squeezed them shut again, "No... No... No..."

"ANNA, QUICKLY!" Rapunzel said urgently as she tried to keep Elsa still with the two men.

Anna quickly, yet gingerly held Elsa face with her hands and stared at Elsa's sorrowful tears that streamed down from the princess's closed eyes and that wetted the redhead's hands_. I'm so sorry!_ Anna thought before she started pouring the liquid in Elsa's mouth.

Elsa nearly choked from the horrible taste while she tried to flail to escape their grip.

Aiden and Flynn surprisingly had a bit of problems trying to keep her still.

Elsa tried to scream again but it came out muffled while her eyebrows furrowed sadly.

"Elsa, please! Just drink it! It will help you!" Anna pleaded before she quickly closed Elsa's mouth with her hand, to force her to drink. _OH MY GOD! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry! I just want you to drink! Please, forgive me!_

After nearly gagging, Elsa finally swallowed, only for her screams, heavy tears and struggles to continue. "STOP IT! STOP IT! STOP IT! STAY AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYY!"

Suddenly, despite her gloves, thick ice started to form underneath Elsa, spreading all the way around her and coating the grass, the trees and the three bloody bodies on the ground that turned into human popsicles.

"Holy shit!" Tyler shouted backing away from Elsa and the ice. Everyone else did the same except for Anna, Rapunzel, Flynn, Aiden, and Kristoff who actually more like ran towards Elsa and the others to help.

The tied woman was more like lost in a trance as she witnessed The Snow Queen's magic in real action for the second time. Since she already saw how Arendelle was being covered in ice and snow. The sight of Elsa screaming was pure horror and shock for her. _This… is really disturbing!_

Anna started to panic, she whipped her head and stared in utter concern at the woman, "It's not working!" She yelled.

Everyone else, including the woman were staring in shock at the most horrible scene they've ever seen!

The woman snapped out from her thoughts and looked over at Anna, "It will! Just give it time!" The woman shouted through Elsa's screams.

"Anna! Nothing is working! Not even the gloves!" Flynn deadpanned pointing at the ice underneath them.

Before Anna could answer, Elsa fell silent as her entire body stiffened and her fingers dug into the ice underneath her. Her eyes shot wide as they darted at the night sky uncontrollably, watching something only she could see: Her memories of today's events being buried right in front of her eyes, turning in to nothing but empty darkness.

Everyone fell silent as the ice stopped spreading, and all watched Elsa.

Her breath was labored, her eyes still wide and she was looking in shock at something.

Anna dreaded the worst, "Elsa…" She called worriedly with a whisper, finally able to hold Elsa's head in her lap, wiping Elsa's tears away with her thumb and staring in concern at her cyan bloodshot eyes. "Elsa?!" She called again, starting to feel utterly concerned since Elsa was unnaturally still as if she was frozen! Her eyes were wide and were staring right up ahead, her body was stiff as a rock, not a single muscle moving, not a single breath taken. "W-What is this?" Anna ask, seeing this bizarre behavior.

Elsa suddenly felt strange. Extreme and intense headache. Warmness… Abnormal warmness. Numbness. Pitch black vision. Nothing.

A last single tear ran down Elsa's cheek, before suddenly, she let out a loud exhale, her eyelids felt heavy then closed and her body went limp as her head rolled to the side on Anna lap.

"It's done." The woman said as she panted from the sudden shock and adrenaline she just experienced, a smile starting to form, "She'll be fine now, don't worry." She said smiling sympathetically at the king's daughter, Princess Elsa of Arendelle.

Anna looked down at Elsa and brushed the wet, sweat-soaked bangs off the princess's head, feeling utterly relieved but still utterly concerned. She leaned down and kissed Elsa's forehead. "I'm so sorry, Elsa… I'm so sorry." She apologized, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It will never happen again, I swear." She vowed.

Elsa on the other hand could feel nothing, see nothing and hear nothing as she was consumed by a peaceful darkness.

* * *

**Review!... No?... Okay. :( *Walk away with head low* Guys please review. I think writing this chap took off 5 years of life from my soul xD I would really appreciate a review :3**

**Holy shit you can't even imagine the energy I used to write this chapter. It was THE MOST TIRING CHAPTER EVER! I think I burned some calories there. :P So be grateful you crazy bastards! ;)**

**I'm sorry that this chapter was long. It won't happen again.**

**I'm off to Turkey. Bye-Bye!**


	39. Let It Go

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXXVI: Let It Go

Aphrodite paced inside her room like a maniac. She was worried. No; she was losing her mind! Concern was boiling her inners and it had been hours and she couldn't stop pacing. Her face showed pure horror and she was mumbling stuffs to herself.

"Aphrodite, just calm down. Anna and the others are out there and are going to find her." Brandon tried to calm her down but it clearly didn't work.

Her eyes were wide with worry and her arms were wrapped around herself. _Why didn't they come back?! What if she's lost!? What if something bad happened to her?! What if someone hurt her?! What if she's dead!? What if HE found her!? Oh God no! Please no!... Elsa… Please be okay! Please be okay! _She only shook her head at Brandon as she kept her wide eyes on the ground, "It's been hours, Brandon! It's been hours! Why didn't they come back with her?! Why didn't they come back with my daughter?! What if she's dead!?" Aphrodite said as she kept pacing and ran her hands through her hair.

Brandon stood off the bed and approached her, "Hey… Don't say that." He gently said and stopped her from pacing by placing his hand on her shoulder, "Look. I know you're worried but I'm sure Anna won't stop until she finds her."

Aphrodite looked at him, a bit surprised, "And what if _Anna_ was found!?" She shouted and pushed his hand away, "Both of my daughters are outside, Brandon! What if my-… What if _H-He_ found them!?" She said as her clenched fists shook from fear and anger. "I have already lost Elsa to him, Bandon… I don't wanna lose Anna too!"

Brandon shook his head sadly at the mother, "You didn't lose Elsa, Aphrodite. She's back to you, remember?"

"Back to me?!... She's barely back to me! Whatever he did to her all these years, it _destroyed_ her completely! And I swear to you, Brandon, I won't let him get away with what he did!" She yelled in rage and poked his shoulder. A moment of silence passed before Aphrodite's face turned shocked and sad, "Do you know what I heard her say?" She asked with a whisper as tears started to form.

Brandon quickly led her to the bed and both sat down. He looked at her sadly, waiting for her to continue.

"She didn't want to hear _anything_ about me… About her mother. She didn't want to talk about me too." She said with a voice so weak and sorrowful and a few tears slid from the corner of her eyes, "I-I don't blame her, Brandon! I-I would never!"

Brandon rubbed her shoulder so he could sooth her but she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

"You s-should have _seen_ the look on her face when I brought the idea of her mother! T-The way she tried to avoid the conversation! The way her entire behavior changed just by the mention of me!" She shook her head to herself, not wanting to believe her own words. "When I asked her… I-It was as if I just slapped her or something!... Oh God! What am I gonna do? She hates me! A-And not just that… But now I lost her f-forever!"

Brandon shook his head at her, "No, no, Aphrodite. She doesn't hate you. She's just… P-Probably a bit confused about it?" He said, starting to feel unsure too, "But it doesn't mean she hates you!"

Aphrodite didn't even listen to him. She just KNEW that her daughter hated her. The way Elsa acted and behaved at her mention, proved everything. She allowed her tears to stream freely.

"She's somewhere out there and I know she's okay. Don't worry about it! Everyone is out there with Anna, looking for her and Zoey." Brandon said and rubbed her back but she kept crying.

She stopped her sobs for a moment when she remembered something. "Her powers…" She mumbled.

"What about them?" Brandon asked.

She turned at him, "Do you know what she was saying?!... Conceal?… And don't feel?!" She said in shock, "I had NEVER taught her that!"

"We both know who did." Brandon replied.

"He taught her _Not_ to feel!?" She asked in disbelief, "To _conceal_ her powers!?... Did he even know what _that _would do to her?! Her powers are who she is! It's like he's asking her to hold her breath or to kill herself! What was he thinking?!"

"Well Aphrodite, we all know that he isn't quite… The _caring_ father. He's probably doing this on purpose." Brandon clarified.

"No." Aphrodite said flatly while shaking her head, "Trust me. If he knew about it, he would have done much worse than what he already did." She buried her head in her hands again, "Why did this had to happen to her!?" She asked miserably, "Why was I destined to marry such a man?" She just had so many questions. "Why wasn't I able to give him his heir and be done with all this? Why was Elsa born different?"

Brandon thought for a moment, "You know… If we keep thinking about our past and why things have happened, we will never be able to heal and move on, and we'll keep regretting things we did." He said sadly and actually knew very much what that meant. He gulped, "We just have to-"

"Let it go." Aphrodite finished his sentence and nodded slowly. She turned to face him with tears staining her cheeks, "But do you know what the difference here is, Brandon?"

He stayed silent and waited for her.

She sighed, "The difference in a life like mine is… That mine and my daughters' past is haunting us." She laughed a weak sarcastic laugh, "_And_ hunting us… I know my husband, Brandon." She said and avoided eye contact, "I know he won't stop until he finds her."

Suddenly, Aphrodite felt something in her heart. A very uncomfortable and uneasy feeling. This feeling that she had been getting ever since Elsa was left alone at the ambush, and she understood very much what it meant. She shot her head up with her wide eyes, "Something isn't right…" She whispered in shock to herself.

"What is?" Brandon asked, confused at her sudden change of behavior.

"No…" She said again to herself, stood off the bed and started breathing fast, "Oh god, no! Brandon she's not okay! I can feel it! Something is wrong!" Her breath quickened more and she clutched her head.

"Aphrodite, calm down! You're just worried that's all!" Brandon tried to comfort her.

"NO! Brandon, something is happening to her! I know it! I can feel it right here, Brandon! Right here!" She said, her hand on her heart. She knew something bad was happening to Elsa, because ever since Elsa was lost to her, she had been feeling this strange uncomfortable sense that something was completely wrong. And that sense only stopped when Anna and the others had arrived from Arendelle, carrying her lost daughter at the edge of life. "I'm going out there to find her myself!" Aphrodite quickly ran to the door but Brandon caught her arm.

"Woah, there! Wait! You can't just go out there in the middle of the night in the woods!" Brandon said with a worried voice.

"Watch me." She said flatly, still looking at the door.

"Aphrodite, _please_!" Brandon pleaded with a voice really full with concern as he gripped her arm and stopped her. The way he said his honest _Please_ really astonished her. "Just give them one more hour. If none of them comes back, we'll go together to find her." He said while pointing at her and himself.

Aphrodite stared into those chocolate brown and concerned eyes for a moment, then sighed in defeat. "Fine… Half an hour. I won't wait more." She said sternly.

Brandon smiled widely in relief, "Good."

* * *

"She's not moving!" Aiden screamed at the woman, after Elsa went completely limp. "What have you done to her!?" He yelled as he was held back by Flynn and Kristoff.

"She's just asleep!" The woman snapped back.

Anna clutched Elsa head closer protectively as she stroked the platinum head, not caring about anyone else but her unknowingly sister. Her sorrowful eyes were still fixated on Elsa's old tears and she wiped them gently away. _I'm so sorry… _She thought while tears stained her own face.

"Do you think I'm stupid enough to give her poison while I'm tied up between dozens of people who can simply kill me?" She asked with an incredulous and mocking face.

That shut Aiden up.

"I have one question though…" The woman said but Anna cut her off.

"You can ask your questions later. Now… We need to get her back to a safe place." Anna said and nodded for Aiden to come, beckoning him to pick Elsa up.

Aiden quickly rushed to her side.

"Come one… Easy…" Anna whispered worriedly as she helped him pick Elsa up with Rapunzel.

Aiden had an extremely concerned face as he picked up Elsa's light form. He didn't care that she was staining him with blood because of her blood-soaked dress. He only cared about one thing, and that was getting Elsa back to the fort and hoped that she would wake up well and good.

Everyone quickly mounted their horses, and Aiden and Anna mounted in Kristoff's sled.

Rapunzel and Flynn went to the woman. "If you would excuse us, Ma'am…" Flynn started mockingly as he shoved her up on her feet. "You're gonna have to ride with us home. We can't trust leaving you out to roam freely and send more of your kind to hunt Elsa."

"Well, I might say that I deserve my own explanations please." She said sarcastically and mocked him back.

Flynn rolled his eyes and helped her get up on a horse, her hands still tied. Rapunzel mounted the same horse so that the woman couldn't have a chance to escape.

Flynn went to Maximus.

"Is she gonna be okay?" Asked a worried, high-pitched voice.

Flynn turned to see Zoey with her worried parents. He sighed. _I really don't know._ "Don't worry… She's gonna be fine."

Unfortunately, everyone heard Flynn's answer. And unusually, they all had the same worried thoughts.

Tyler went to his own horse, but on his way, he stepped on something that caught his eyes. He looked down under his feet to see a blood stained, wrinkled piece of paper. He bent down and picked it up. His eyes slowly widened as he read. It was a bounty announcement. Probably fell from those hunters. At the top of the paper, laid a description of a person, that could only be the bizarre known appearance of the one and only, Snow Queen, Elsa. At the bottom though, was what caught his eyes.

The Snow Queen

_Wanted for Murder, Treason and Witchcraft_

_Dead or Alive_

_Grand reward given personally by the fair and merciful King Jamie of Arendelle_

"Murder…?!" Tyler whispered to himself and quickly shoved the piece of paper in his pocket before anyone could notice it. _Well, well, well… Looks like she's not so innocent after all. _He quickly mounted his horse and followed the others, a satisfied smirk on his face.

* * *

The moment they arrived at the fort, people quickly rounded them, from villagers to guild members. They all had wide and shocked eyes when they saw Elsa.

Anna ignored the murmurs and whispers around her and helped Aiden carry Elsa off the sled.

"ANNA!" Aphrodite's voice came out.

Aphrodite had her heart racing like crazy as she tried to push her way through, Brandon right at her trail. She froze and her blood ran cold when she saw Elsa covered in a great amount of blood and was completely limp. "No!" She screamed and rushed to her daughter, not caring about the weird and confused looks the villagers were giving her. _No, no, no, no! Please no!_ "What happened!?" She yelled as she tried to take a look at Elsa.

Anna quickly stopped her panicking mother by holding her shoulders, "Mum, calm down! She's just asleep." She said, confused at her mother's strange behavior. "She's fine, don't worry. That's… That's not her blood."

Aphrodite looked at her younger daughter in shock. When she understood what Anna meant, she slowly relaxed. She suddenly shook her head though, "No… I want to check on her myself. Bring her to her room." She commanded. She wouldn't feel relaxed with calming words. She would only relax if she checked with her own eyes that Elsa was fine.

"She tried to kidnap a child!" One of the villagers shouted an accusation and the people erupted into loud murmurs and whispers of horror.

"What?!" Anna screamed. "No, wait!" Anna was about to yell at them when someone held her from her shoulder. She turned and saw Zoey's father.

The man gave her a reassuring nod and moved to stand in front of Elsa and the others to shield her from the accusing eyes of the villagers. He held his hands up. "Listen to me!" He shouted and everyone fell silent.

He cleared his throat, "The one you're accusing of a witch and a kidnapper… Saved my daughter's life!" He announced and another wave of skeptical whispers and murmurs was heard.

"That's right!" Zoey exclaimed and ran to her father's side, now all eyes on her, including Aphrodite's.

"W-We were attacked by bad people… One of them tried to hurt me but Elsa didn't let him." She said to everyone and tears started to slide, "A-And then… She told me to run a-and they started hurting her because of me!" Zoey couldn't take it anymore and she quickly turned to her mother and buried her face in her mother's waist and cried.

The tied woman watched the fort in amazement and astonishment. How the hell none had noticed the fort before?! She had no idea. _All these people live here?!_ She thought. _Wait… Why does it look familiar… _A hooded woman came across her eyes and she was amazed at how much this woman was concerned for The Snow Queen. Everyone wanted her to believe that this was the deceased princess. But heck no! She couldn't believe any of these lunatics. This Snow Queen had probably ruined and frozen their minds.

Aphrodite's heart fluttered with pride, knowing that her daughter tried her best to keep Zoey safe despite her injuries and condition.

Zoey's father started again, "I have made a big mistake and wronged this woman." He said and pointed at the unconscious Elsa. When he saw her again he felt a rush of guilt overwhelm his body and his face turned sad and remorseful, "I've judged her before I could even know her, and I didn't listen to my daughter. And I know that some of you are scared of her, but the only thing we should be scared of now, are those hunters who can harm our home!" He shouted and everyone started to agree since they shouted a 'Yeah!' back. "This woman has defended my one and only daughter from those hunters! Now it's my turn to pay my debt to her! She saved Zoey's life and now I owe her mine!... I shall defend her from whoever will try to harm her!... And I vow on it." He said and raised a hand.

Everyone started throwing shouts of agreement.

"Who's this!?" One of the men shouted and pointed at the tied woman behind Rapunzel.

_Uh-oh…_ The woman thought as her eyes widened when all attention was thrown at her.

Everyone turned to look at the woman.

Aphrodite turned her eyes at this hunter and they shot incredibly wide. _Oh hell, you have got to be kiddin' me… _She knew exactly who this woman was but she couldn't believe her eyes and she felt a knot in her stomach. "Diana!?" She called before she could stop herself.

Everyone now turned at Aphrodite with confused and surprised looks.

Brandon turned at Aphrodite in shock and he leaned closer and whispered, "You know her?!" He asked.

Aphrodite snapped out of it. "U-Uhh…" She stuttered, lost for words.

The tied woman, Diana, turned at the hooded woman who just called her and gave her a confused look, "May I have the honor to know _who_ you might be, Ma'am?"

Aphrodite looked around nervously to see all eyes on her. She gulped and straightened herself so that she couldn't raise any suspicions. She ignored the looks and turned to Flynn, "Take this woman to the fort dungeons… I have some matters to speak about with her." She calmly said.

"Uhm… Okay?" Flynn said and started leading the woman out of sight and into the dungeons.

On her way, the woman tried to squint her eyes to see the face of the woman but she couldn't see anything. Okay… This was getting weirder and weirder for her. First they told her that The Snow Queen was the supposed-to-be deceased princess herself, then they led her to this huge familiar fort, then this woman knew her? This was one hell of an epic day for her.

Anna placed a hand on her mother's shoulder, "Mum… _How_ do you know her?" She asked suspiciously and raised an eyebrow.

Without meeting her daughter's face, Aphrodite kept staring at Elsa in worry then spoke, "Let's just say that she's… _A_ _friend._" _Or more…_

Before Anna could ask anything else, Aphrodite turned to Aiden who had Elsa in his arms, "Aiden, take Elsa to her room. I'll be with you in a few minutes." She turned to Rapunzel, "Rapunzel, call for Waela and tell her to check if Elsa has any injuries, and you," She turned and pointed at finger at Anna. "Have a lot to explain about what happened out there." She turned to the crowd, "We're sorry for interrupting your night, but everything is going to be alright. Brandon, Tyler and I will see to this matter and solve it. Now, if you would please go back to your homes and your children. Everything's under control." Aphrodite said, using her regal and stern voice.

The villagers always had trusted _Leanna_ and they knew very well that she could handle such problems.

"But what about those hunters?!" One from the crowd shouted.

"What if they found us!?" Chaos erupted between the crowds as they spoke and shouted in horror.

"We're doomed!" Cries of fear were heard and Aphrodite was starting to get irritated as she tried to calm them down but they weren't listening.

"ENOUGH!" She yelled in rage and her howl echoed in the valley and shushed everyone. "I want you all to _stay… Calm._" She said slowly and motioned for them with her hands, "We have one of the hunters in our dungeons and we'll try to extract information from her. Hopefully, we'll be able to stop them before anyone of them can find us."

The crowd relaxed a bit, nodded in agreement and started going back to their homes.

Anna was pretty amazed at her mother's ability to… _Lead_ the people in here and maintain this fort's safety. "You never fail to amaze me, you know that?" Anna asked with a smirk.

Aphrodite turned to her with a smirk, "I'm your mother. That's my job." She teased and playfully pinched Anna's cheek.

Anna slapped her hand away and tried not to laugh, "And I'm glad that you are." She said and wrapped her arms around her mum in a hug. "And don't worry about Elsa. I know she's fine."

Aphrodite sighed a bit and hugged back, "Be _sure_ that she's okay, alright Sunshine?"

Anna nodded and broke the hug.

Aphrodite smiled at her younger daughter fondly and cupped the redhead's cheek, "I'm _so_ proud of you." She tapped Anna's nose, "Never forget that you are brave and strong."

Anna giggled a bit. "I know… I AM _your_ daughter." She said with a smirk and made her mother giggle.

"Well… Let's just hope you don't put yourself in trouble and burn this fort down." Aphrodite teased.

"Oh stop it…" Anna said and waved her hand at her mother dismissingly.

Anna then turned to the sleeping Elsa and smiled sadly at her. _I hope you're alright, Elsa… Please be okay! I don't know what I'll do without you._

Aphrodite gave Aiden and Kristoff a farewell nod before she went to follow Flynn to the dungeons with Brandon on her side.

Kristoff placed a reassuring hand on Anna's shoulder, "I'm sure she's fine. She's strong, remember?" He reminded softly and smiled at her.

Anna placed her hand above the one he had on her shoulder. She smiled thankfully and fondly at him, then nodded.

Anna, Aiden and Kristoff then went to take Elsa to her room.

* * *

On their way to the room, Aiden stared down at Elsa's tired and unconscious figure. He felt a knife pierce through his heart and a big lump in his throat. The way he heard her scream, the amount of Fear she was experiencing and the fact that _hunters _were after her as if she was a wild beast or a grand trophy, boiled worries inside his heart. It killed him to know how many people hated and wanted Elsa dead.

_It's always the innocents who suffer the most._

Bulda once told him. And she was damn right. What would have happened to him if they were minutes late to reach Elsa? What would have happened if she died?

A single tear slid down his cheek and dripped on Elsa's cheek. He quickly and nervously hurried to wipe it off before anyone could see it. _Shit…_ He thought angrily at himself. Since he had lost his sister when he was a five year old boy, he had NEVER cried.

Luckily for him, no one saw that single significant tear. He tried as much as he could not look at Elsa's face. Because he knew that if he did, he WOULD cry. But somehow his eyes kept sneaking quick peeks towards her and with every peek, it sent stabs through his heart.

Anna opened the door for him and they all entered the room.

They gently and with the most delicate touch, placed Elsa on the bed. When he let go of Elsa, he realized his hands were shaking and he quickly hid them by crossing his arms.

"I really hope she's alright." Anna said sorrowfully as she felt that she was about to break at any second. She sat next to her unknowingly sister and like always, started stroking Elsa's hair off her face. "W-Why…?" Anna's voice was so weak and it quivered with the desperation because of the sorrows she was holding inside. Her tears started to shed, "Why did _she_ have to face all this?" She sobbed and buried her face in her hands.

Kristoff sat next to her and gently wrapped his arms around and her and tried to shush her. "It's alright, Anna…" He soothed and she actually felt comforted with his kindness.

Anna looked at Elsa's tired face and she felt another lump form in her throat. "What would have happened if this woman didn't give us the potion, Kristoff?... Do you imagine what w-would have… Happened? N-Not just that… But what if this potion is fake?! W-What if she won't recognize any of us when she wakes up?!" _IF she wakes up._ She thought and didn't dare say it out loud.

"I know, I know…" Kristoff said and rubbed her back, "But it's all over now. Everything's fine and she's safe now. I don't think the woman was lying. IF in any case something happens again, we'll sure be there to stop it."

"I really hope so, Kristoff…" She broke the hug and smiled weakly at him, then they both turned to look at Elsa with sad eyes. Anna leaned down and grabbed Elsa's cold gloved hand in hers, "I really hope so."

Aiden watched from the other side of the room and was having his own conflict. Will Elsa ever trust any of them again? Will she be the same person she was when she wakes up? Why had no one used the potion in years?... Why was Elsa so beautiful? WHY was he falling for her?! He never felt so interested in a woman before. Maybe because Elsa was unique? Or maybe because she respected everything in life?... Including ants!

Well… He would never forget the lesson that his sister had taught him. The lesson he failed to listen to.

_Treat the people in the way you want them to treat you._

Since the day his sister died, he had forgotten this lesson, and only Elsa had reminded him of it. So… Was his answer that Elsa reminded him of his sister?

He felt something wet on his cheek. His eyes widened and he quickly wiped his tears away. _What the heck is happening to me?! _He thought and quickly turned his back so that Anna and Kristoff wouldn't see his tears.

Anna noticed Aiden's distress. "Aiden?" She called in concern and luckily to him, before she could continue, Rapunzel burst inside the room with Waela at her side.

"Hey! I'm here! I got Waela." Rapunzel said as she approached the bed.

Waela winced when she saw Elsa's blood-soaked dress and hoped for the best. She turned to the boys, "You should probably leave, please." She asked politely.

Kristoff nodded and stood up to leave. "I'll be at the stables. I need to check on Sven. If anything happens, call for me." He said and received a grateful nod from Anna.

"Thank you, Kristoff." Anna said and smiled warmly at him.

He returned the smile and moved to leave, after patting Aiden on the back.

Aiden quickly straightened and tried to hide his unease. "I uh… I-I'll just stay outside. J-Just tell me if she's okay when you're done." He quickly said and practically ran his way out of the room.

Anna and Waela were too busy with Elsa and didn't notice him.

Rapunzel on the other hand saw and realized everything, so she quickly followed him. "Anna, I have something to do. I'll be right back." She said and received a nod from Anna who still had her eyes on Elsa.

* * *

Aiden went out of the room and was now in the empty dim hallway. Luckily to him, everyone went back to their shacks and rooms and were definitely asleep.

He walked slowly in the empty hallways, having nothing but Elsa's pained and fearful face in his mind. He reached his room and stood in front of the door in silence. Just staring at it.

Instead of entering his bedroom. He turned his back, slid down the door and sat on the ground. He rested his elbows on his knees and clutched his head between his arms. To his own surprise, he felt so woeful but also relieved. He wanted to do something but he knew he couldn't. He wanted to be alone but also wanted company. He wanted to keep the harm away from Elsa but he knew that he would fail. He wanted her to be okay but wasn't sure that she was. He wanted to know WHY people kept hurting her but he knew that they wouldn't stop not until they were done… He wanted to be happy, but he started to cry.

He started to sob as heavy tears streamed down his cheeks. That!… Was more than a shock to him. But he didn't care at all. He just wanted to cry and he _thought_ that he didn't know why… But he knew better.

He heard light footsteps coming near him but he didn't care less about them.

The next thing he knew, someone sat next to him without a word and wrapped her arms around him.

The shock to Rapunzel was that Aiden started sobbing harder when she hugged him. His shoulders shook as he cried and she made circles on his back to try to sooth him. She had never saw Aiden cry. Not in her entire life with him. EVER. He never even showed such emotions towards a woman.

He was always like a big brother to her and seeing him like this had led her to shed her own tears. "It's alright, Aiden…" She tried to comfort him and patted his back.

Strangely, he didn't feel embarrassed at all. Even though it was weird since he was huge comparing to Rapunzel form. Instead he only cried more and wanted to spill his bottled up tears.

Rapunzel smiled at him as she placed her chin on his shoulder. "Can you deny your admiration for Elsa, now?" She teased and he actually chuckled weakly. "I'll take that as a 'No, Rapunzel! I can't deny it. You were right!'" She said with a giggle and allowed him to sob on her shoulder. "Told you I know everything... I know _Love_ when I see it. And you my friend… Are in love."

"B-But she's hurt!" Aiden cried through his sobs. Right, now. He wasn't the big and intimidating Oaf whom no one would dare cross or fight. No; He was with Rapunzel and he was crying, letting his emotions flow and showing his sentimental side after all these years. So that meant that he was simply being… Aiden.

"There, there, Oafy." She said playfully and patted the back of his head, "Don't worry about Elsa. Just let it out… Let it go."

* * *

Aphrodite entered the dungeons with Brandon to be met with Flynn who was standing in front of the cellar that Diana was in.

Diana saw this same hooded woman again and she frowned. "Care to explain why you wanted to talk to me so eagerly?" She asked as she gripped the bars of her cellar.

Aphrodite ignored her. "Thank you, Flynn. You may go."

Flynn nodded and left the dungeons.

Aphrodite turned to Diana. "I'm sorry for bringing you here to the dungeons. I only had to so that I don't raise any suspicions."

Diana scoffed, "Suspicions for what?"

Aphrodite smiled, "That we know each other very well."

Diana smirked, "Oh is that so…" She said sarcastically.

Aphrodite nodded then turned to Brandon, "Brandon, would you do the honor to open the cell to Diana here? We don't keep our guests locked up."

"Oh so I'm a guest now?" Diana asked mockingly.

Brandon gave Aphrodite a confused look, but he moved to unlock the dungeon door anyway.

"Like I said. I apologize for this. Come… Let us talk in a more proper place." Aphrodite said and folded her hands neatly in front of her.

Diana raised a skeptical eyebrow at her and nodded. She then followed Brandon and the hooded woman.

As they walked with each other, Brandon leaned closer and whispered in Aphrodite's ear. "What are you doing?! Who is this woman and how do you even know each other?!"

"Oh you'll see." Aphrodite's simple reply was.

Aphrodite led Diana and Brandon to her room at the infirmary. "There… That's a better private place." The Queen said as she opened the door for them.

The three entered and Diana crossed her arms in annoyance. "I think I deserve an explanation." She said.

Aphrodite chuckled, "Don't worry… I know you do." She said with a smirk and moved to prepare some tea. "You may sit."

Diana exchanged confused looks with Brandon before she sat down on the chair.

Brandon leaned to the wall and watched the two. He was as eager as Diana to know what was up with Aphrodite.

"I hope you like Tea." Aphrodite said.

Diana ignored her and couldn't help but ask, "You know _my_ name… May I at least know yours?"

"You'll know… I won't be in need to tell you too." Aphrodite replied and placed the cups on a tray. "Are you married Diana?" She vaguely asked.

Diana raised an eyebrow at her, "And who are you to ask that?... But anyway. Yes I am. But my husband died and I have learned to _let it go_. The only family I have left is my son. And the sooner I can get out of here, the sooner I go back to him."

At that Aphrodite's hand froze for a moment. _A son?!_ She thought in shock before she regained her attention. "My condolences." She said calmly and tried to act normal._ He never told me!_

"Thank you." Diana said, more sarcastically.

Aphrodite approached with the tray and placed it on the table. "Here's your Tea."

Diana took the cup of tea with a thankful nod. "May I now know who you are and how you even know me?" She said and started to sip her tea.

Aphrodite gave Brandon a sly smile.

Brandon only got confused more and more. _What the hell are you up to?_

"You can say we have something in common." Aphrodite said and sat down on her own chair, then sipped her tea.

"If you would please stop your vague answers, it would be preferable… I don't have time for games." Diana replied with annoyance.

_Well… You've always been grumpy._ "Very well…" Aphrodite said and calmly placed her cup on the table. She then slowly let her hood down to reveal her smirk. "It's been a long time."

When Aphrodite's hood was down. Diana's eyes shot wide and she spat the tea from her mouth as her face turned red and she shrieked in rage at her.

"YOU!"

* * *

**Hello guys. I'm back from my vacation much more earlier than i intended and i am completely pissed off. As some of you know i live in a beautiful country where War and Explosions are like watching TV or riding a bicycle. So... When I went off to turkey, i had two beautiful days before i received a call that an huge explosion happened near my home. I had to go back and check on my family. Luckily, they are okay but my car isn't xD**

**I had time to write. So yeah... **


	40. The Woman In White

**Uhm... I'm not the Author. I'm her cousin. Lany have been having a bit of 'Family issues' So she assigned me to post the chapter that she already wrote on her behalf.**

**Uh...Just enjoy xD**

**Warning…Minor swearing xD**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXXVII: The Woman In White

"YOU!" Diana shrieked as she stood and pushed away the table, sending Tea everywhere.

Aphrodite quickly stood but before she could react, Diana's fist contacted her jaw and sent her backwards.

The room fell to utter silence and Brandon watched with a jaw slack, still not comprehending what just happened.

Aphrodite's head whipped to the side really hard, yet she stayed on her feet and only staggered one step back.

To both Brandon and Diana's surprise, Aphrodite started to chuckle as she felt the trickle of blood run down from the corner of her mouth. "Well…" She started calmly as she started to pull her sleeves up to her elbows.

Brandon's eyes widened knowing what she was about to do. _Uh-oh… oh no you won't…!_

"I'm always up for a good fight." Aphrodite said.

"Nonono! Aphrodite, WAIT!" Brandon tried to reach her but it was already too late.

Aphrodite quickly turned and smashed her fist right into Diana's face and the poor woman fell to the ground with a loud thud that Brandon couldn't help but wince and made an Ooo with his mouth, understanding her pain.

Diana fell to the ground, blood coming down her nose. "Hah… _Fucking_ bitch…" She cursed as she laughed and wiped the blood away. "Very well… You're on!"

"Oh how I missed the old days…" Aphrodite said with a smirk as she shook her pained hand from the hard punch she just made.

"A-Aphrodite… Diana… Let us be rational here and let's simply… _Talk_." Brandon tried to calm them as he stood between them but both women didn't seem to listen as they bore into each other's eyes. Aphrodite with her green ones and Diana with her blue ones.

Diana tried to reach for her weapon, only to find that her dagger and sword were nowhere to be found.

"Come on, sweetheart. Show me what you can do without your weapons." Aphrodite teased.

Diana stood and pulled up her sleeves too. "Robin isn't here to stop us now, huh Your Majesty?" She asked with a smirk.

"Unfortunately for you, no he isn't." Aphrodite returned the smirk back.

Diana quickly grabbed the cup and threw it at Aphrodite to try and startle her.

Aphrodite quickly saw it coming and she dodged it, although when she regained her focus, she was suddenly pushed to the ground by a force that could only be from Diana.

Diana tackled Aphrodite to the ground and tried to punch her, "How does it feel to know that you have left a son fatherless!?" Diana asked as she punched Aphrodite in the face.

Aphrodite shook the dizziness of the impact away and kicked the woman above her, right in the stomach, sending her backwards. "My brother came to save me!" She defended back as she lifted herself on her elbows.

Diana quickly stood and grabbed a chair only to send it right towards Aphrodite, "You were a god damn Queen! Why would you run away from such a great life!?"

Aphrodite gasped and her eyes widened, seeing the chair coming towards her and she quickly rolled to her side. Luckily, the chair missed her but it broke in pieces as it made its way to the floor. Aphrodite groaned in rage and on her way while standing up, she grabbed Diana's foot and pulled it up so that the woman fell and stumbled hard on her back. "You know nothing about my past life!"

Diana grunted as she contacted the floor again but she quickly pushed Aphrodite with her feet and sent her smashing to the book shelves, sending books to the ground as she hit it. "Why would a Queen run away from her own luxury?!"

"Stop it you two!" Brandon tried to stop them and held Aphrodite back as she tried to reach for Diana to pluck the woman's eyes out. But the poor man accidently received a punch to his jaw and he couldn't help but to let go. _OH MY GOD! She has a strong arm!_ He thought as his clutched his jaw.

Aphrodite grabbed a knife from the counter and threw it towards Diana, purposely not hitting her target, "That was a warning, Darlin."

Diana gasped and felt her heart rise up to her throat when she saw the knife coming and she quickly cowered only for her not to feel the knife at all. She opened her eyes to see that the knife was right above her head. "Well… _I_ on the other hand never give warnings." She said sarcastically and quickly removed the knife from the wall and threw it at Aphrodite.

Aphrodite quickly jumped to the side and stumbled to the floor, "You BITCH! You could have killed me!"

"And now you know my intentions!" Diana shouted dramatically with a mocking happy voice.

Aphrodite's view turned red and she roared in rage as she ran towards Diana and tackled her, only for them to land on the table and it came crashing to the ground, sending shards of wood everywhere as the two women punched each other.

* * *

Outside Leanna's room, the healers and patients stopped what they were doing to stare at the door and hear the crazy muffled noises of thuds, crashes, yells, curses and shouts.

"Anyone has any ideas what's going on with Leanna?" One healer asked and everyone else exchanged confused and weird looks before they all shrugged and went back to their work.

* * *

"This!... Is for trying to kill my daughter!" Aphrodite yelled and smashed her fist to Diana's stomach.

Diana groaned in pain and rage and punched back Aphrodite's face. "And this is for my son whom you left fatherless for your greedy need!"

_She blames me for Robin's death?!_ Aphrodite was very close to lose her anger to sadness and guilt. "Y-YOU KNOW NOTHING! My life was more miserable than any person alive!" She screamed and shoved Diana up on her feet and pinned her to the wall. "He never told me he had a son!"

Diana grunted in pain and glared down at Aphrodite, "It's because he didn't live to even know that he would have one! I was going to tell him when he would come back from your stupid escape!... BUT HE NEVER DID!"

Aphrodite's heart pumped harder and she was about to break. As if she needed any more guilt? "I-I was only trying to protect my children!"

"OH IS THAT SO!? Well I'm doing the same to mine!" Diana spat in Aphrodite's face.

Aphrodite quickly let go and tried to wipe the saliva off her face.

Taking this as her advantage, Diana kicked Aphrodite in the stomach. "Your husband was a king! He would have done anything for you!"

"I HATE MY HUSBAND!" Aphrodite staggered back and clutched her stomach as she felt a wave of nausea, remembering her husband's horrible acts that he accomplished on her.

Diana really felt enraged now. This woman in front of her was so ungrateful for having a glamorous life of royalty. Who could ever deny such a life?! Why would someone run away from it?! Why did Aphrodite fake her death!? "WHY!? Why are you hiding his children from him here!? Why did you run away and resulted in killing _my _husband?!... _Your_ brother!"

Aphrodite felt tears trickle down her cheeks and she couldn't take it anymore. She turned at Diana with bloodshot and sorrowful, yet angry eyes and screamed, "It's because he used to take advantage of me! He used to hit my children! He was an awful liar! He used to HATE my daughter just because she's DIFFERENT!... I had no choice but to run away! I couldn't take it anymore! I had to hide my daughters from him! But I failed! I failed! He had captured Elsa after I ran away! And look what happened to her!" She yelled and yelled as tears streamed down her cheeks freely, not bothering to wipe off any.

Diana watched in shock as the woman in front of her unfolded her misery to her. "What are you saying?!"

"I tried to hide them! I tried!" Aphrodite yelled again as she waved her hands in exasperation. "YOUR husband tried to help me! But it's not me who you should hate! It's _my _husband! YOUR _fair_ king!" She said mockingly, "He was the one who killed him! I was lucky that I was able to run away! But my daughter Elsa was the one who paid for my freedom with… H-Her whole life!"

"Aphrodite…" Brandon tried to stop her from yelling so that she could calm herself. He hated seeing her so sad and it was eating him inside out!

"You're lying!" Diana yelled back, not wanting to believe. "There is no way The Snow Queen is your daughter! T-The king said she _died_!"

Aphrodite didn't listen to Brandon. She only kept going, "NO!... She didn't die! I thought that she did too and I've been living in guilt ever since Jamie announced that she was dead! BUT OH GUESS WHAT!?" She asked sarcastically as she started to tremble. "Not long ago, my daughter Anna arrived from Arendelle with a… _T-Tortured _woman that turned out to be my _dead_ DAUGHTER!"

"What?!"

"I have discovered that after all that time, my daughter wasn't dead! No!... Because _HE_!… Had locked her away!... Not just that," She laughed sarcastically at how pathetic her life was while tears still stained her cheeks, "But he was torturing her and probably WHIPPING HER EVERY NIGHT FOR THE PAST FIFTEEN YEARS!"

Diana couldn't hold on much longer. "N-No… T-That's not true!" Diana said, as her anger dissipated and turned to shock. _He killed my husband!... And sent me to kill his daughter!?... My own family?! _She was brought back from her thoughts when Brandon spoke this time.

"It is." Brandon confirmed sadly.

Aphrodite started to sob but kept her teary eyes boring into Diana's and tried to stay strong, "E-Everyone thinks she is the monster!... B-But the truth is… HE is!" She said with a weak voice and stomped her feet on the ground in irritation, "Diana… I-I know that we never had a friendly past, but you have to believe me!" She pleaded desperately, "D-Do you know what it feel like… To see your daughter… O-On the edge of life?... To see her so scared and in pain!? Did you ever had to see your child's back… F-Full with those… Those…" She trailed off, lost for words, not able to describe the horror she had seen as she remembered Elsa's back condition, "Those g-gruesome _scars_… and _hideous_ lines?!" She said-more to herself-with a voice that came out like a squeak. It wasn't the strong Queen's voice anymore. It was the voice of a miserable mother.

Diana slowly shook her head in disbelief as the truth sank in. _The snow storms… The cold!... The eternal winter!... THE SCREAMS! _"Oh god…" Her whisper was her only reply.

Brandon stood next to Aphrodite to give her courage and comfort. He watched as both women had small bruises on their faces. Aphrodite had the corner of her lip split and it was trickling blood and she had a bruise right under her eye, and on the other hand, Diana had her nose bleeding and a big bruise on her cheek.

_ANNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!_

A shiver shot down Diana's spine when she remembered how Elsa screamed, "A-And that woman… The one with… With the red hair…" She laughed a bit to try and joke and convince herself that there was no way that was… "D-Don't tell me that was Anna…?" She asked her face between shock and derision, still trying hard not to believe. She couldn't believe what was happening! The king had said that Princess Anna and Queen Aphrodite were kidnapped. Not only this but six years after, he had said that they all died, including Elsa! Were they all really living a lie?!

"Yes." Brandon replied but Diana still had a skeptical look. "You don't believe us?!" He asked.

That was just too much for Diana. She didn't know if she should have believed them. All these years she had blamed Aphrodite for her husband's death and protected the king, only for her suddenly to discover that it had to be the other way around! Diana felt her cheeks wet with tears. The horrifying truth was shredding her heart to pieces. She had failed Robin.

"You know what…?" Aphrodite said as she wiped her tears, only to have new ones roll down. "C-Come with me. I want to show you something."

* * *

Anna sat down next to Elsa on the bed and under the covers, after having Waela check that Elsa was okay. They already had bathed Elsa carefully and removed the blood and replaced the bloody dress with a comfortable nightgown.

And through all that time, Elsa was still unconscious… and Anna was starting to worry.

"Are you sure she's okay?" Anna asked and tried to recheck if Elsa had any unwitnessed injuries.

Waela was packing her kit. She lifted her head for a second and smiled sympathetically at Anna. "She's fine, Anna. I double-checked already. She just needs to rest. What she's been through today wasn't well in any way." She smiled down fondly at Elsa and closed her medical bag. "Besides… I heard the fort has a new hero." She said and winked as she hinted at Elsa by pointing with her eyes before she turned and left the room.

Anna smiled widely at that. She turned her head to look at Elsa and caressed the side of the platinum blonde's face, "Well… At least they see you as a hero now." Anna told her and slumped further under the covers. She was utterly grateful that the villagers no longer saw Elsa as a catastrophic mistake. "Please wake up, Elsa…" She pleaded and looked a bit worriedly at her. _Kristoff promised that you're going to be fine... Why aren't you waking up? _The thought of Kristoff brought a red color to her cheeks, and in between, her lips drew a big warm smile. She sighed and relaxed as she played with the end of her braids and started daydreaming about what happened today at the fields.

* * *

**Anna's Memory**

"Anna are you sure it's safe to climb that high just for an apple?!" Kristoff asked worriedly as his head was tilted backwards, watching Anna climb the biggest apple tree he had ever seen. Anna had already climbed about four meters high now.

She was struggling to climb on top of a branch with an extremely weird position, "Y-Yup!... They said they wanted-" She tried to push herself up with a groan, "Apples… And well… I'm going… to get them… Apples!" She finally got on top of the branch and sat as she wiped her forehead, dangling her legs from each side of the branch.

"But there are already apples not that far up! Why did you have to climb all the way up? Anna, please come down! It's dangerous!" He pleaded with a worried and nervous voice as he held the basket of apples.

"Because apples far up are more delicious!- Ooo!" She noticed a nice big and red fresh apple a bit far at the tip of the branch she was on. "Look! This one's good!" She said and pointed at the apple, then started-with her tongue stuck at the corner of her mouth- to slowly and carefully crawl on the branch so she could reach the apple.

Kristoff's eyes widened seeing her crawling on the branch from the thick side to the thin and fragile part. "Anna! Between all these apples, you want _that_!? Wait!... Nononono! Stop!" Kristoff let go of the apple basket as he stood underneath the oblivious redhead that didn't notice the branch creaking and started to bend and break.

"Awww come on, Kristoff! It's just an apple! It won't bite!" Anna reach the end of the branch and stretched her arm forward to try and reach for the apple. "Come onnnn… Just a little… Closer…" She mumbled as her finger tips were inches from the apple. "Annnnddd… GOT IT! –AH!" Anna shouted as she held the apple up victoriously but the branch suddenly snapped and broke and she went falling to her doom.

Kristoff gripped his hair in worry and gasped. "Anna!" He quickly ran to try and catch her, opening his arms wide.

Anna saw the ground underneath her coming closer and she squeezed her eyes shut waiting for the painful-probably deadly- impact.

But it never came.

"OOF!" Kristoff grunted as Anna landed in his arms. He exhaled a breath he never knew he kept. "Phew…"

Anna opened one eye to see her hero… Her knight with the shining armor. But instead she found a blonde man wearing a messed up blouse and muddy pants. "Kristoff!" She shouted and started to laugh, "Thank you!" She patted his chest and he put her down to stand on the ground, "That was one hell of a crazy trust exercise." She said while fixing her clothes.

"Don't do that again! Are you crazy!? You would have hurt yourself!" He said in an extremely worried voice, his heart still pumping from the adrenaline he just felt. "Why did you do that?!" He asked frustrated.

The oblivious Anna held the red apple in front of his face. "For this!" She said happily.

Kristoff stared dumbfounded at the apple. "You could have killed yourself for _this_!?... What were you thinking?!" He yelled.

Anna furrowed her eyebrows and felt angry at the way he was talking to her, "I am okay now! You don't need to yell!" She yelled back, crossed her arms and turned her back at him with a scoff.

"I told you not to do it! There were so many other apples for god's sake!" Kristoff yelled again and turned his back on her.

Anna whipped her body towards him with a furious face, "Why do you care so much!?"

"BECAUSE I DON'T WANNA LOSE YOU!" He yelled in her face, as his eyes flared with worry and rage.

Anna's face fell from angry to surprise. She mouthed an 'Oh' as her shoulders relaxed.

Kristoff buried his head in his hands and sighed, not wanting to look at her face of rejection.

_He cares about me!?_ Anna felt guilty and her face turned remorseful. She took a step towards him as she tried to touch his shoulder, "Kristoff, I-"

"No, don't… Just forget it." He shrugged her hand away and turned his back to her, walked to the basket, picked it up and walked away.

Anna stood there in shock, watching him go with a sad and regretful face. But she wasn't about to give up now, "Kristoff, wait!" She called as she ran behind him and tried to catch up.

She grabbed his shoulder and gently stopped him. "Kristoff, _please_… Did… Did you really mean what you said?!" She asked with a smile, feeling her heart was about to burst out in joy. _He cares! He cares!_

Kristoff sighed and kept his head low. "Y-Yes." He said and blushed, then looked up and stared right into her face, "Anna… I..." He coughed nervously a bit then, "I-I wanna tell you something."

Anna's heart was beating faster _than_ the wings of a hummingbird. "Yes…?" She beckoned him to continue as she felt excited.

Kristoff took a deep breath then, "Anna, I'm so sorry I yelled at you. I was just so worried and when you fell… I-I felt my world turn upside down and I was so afraid to lose you! I understand that you're just stressed out because of what had happened to Elsa. All of us are too!" Kristoff smiled sympathetically at her, "I… I…" He just didn't know how to tell her that he really had feelings for her! _Don't tell her! Who said she will ever love a simple Ice Harvester like you! _He suddenly shook his head, "I-I'm sure Elsa's gonna be fine, Anna." He assured with a gentle tone and tried to change subject.

Anna's face broke into a confused one and her heart shattered when she didn't hear what she wanted to hear. _You're just dreaming, Anna… He doesn't like you. Damn! I am so pathetic! _She sighed in disappointment, "I really hope so Kristoff… Just by knowing that we have to leave her here alone so we could head out to our task is really worrying." She said worriedly, then shook her head, "I can't stop thinking about it! I-I was just really worried for her…"

"You said that she'll be with Bulda, right?" He asked as he walked by her side.

Anna nodded.

Kristoff noticed her sudden sad behavior and he felt confused. It broke his heart in two to see her so sad. But why? He suddenly smiled and decided to cheer her, "Well… Why are you so worried then?!" He asked cheerfully, trying to let her show that smile he loved so dearly from her, "Bulda really loves Elsa and we all know that she'll take good care of her." He thought for a moment then, "A-And if you want… I can keep an eye on her and keep her safe." He suggested nervously.

Anna lifted her head, "You-… You would really do that?!" She asked happily.

Kristoff chuckled a bit at her excited face, "Well of course!" He suddenly shied a bit and blushed, "Remember what you guys said?" He asked shyly, playing with the apple in his hands.

Anna gave him a confused smile, so he continued.

"Well, you said that… We're all… F-Family here, right? S-So I think it's my job to be sure that Elsa is safe and well while you're gone… She _is_ my family too." He said and nervously played with his hat, hoping that he wouldn't be rejected to be a part of their _special_ 'Family' bond.

Anna's eyes widened in amazement and she felt her heart flutter. This man in front of her was a miracle! An angel from heaven! He was so kind, sweet and warm-hearted and it was only then did she realize how much he'd been living with them, how much he had helped them, and most importantly, he had never showed any sign that he was scared of Elsa. He actually was the reason that Elsa arrived to the fort _alive_. If it weren't for his help, Elsa would have definitely died on the way to the fort after they had escaped the dungeons.

Kristoff bit his lip and tried to presume what Anna's reaction would be. He watched every expression of her face. Her silence made him hold his breath and he started to regret the words he just said. Rejection? He had faced that before and feared it since he had lived like an unwanted, stray orphan boy.

"Oh my god, Kristoff… I just realized something…" Anna suddenly said with an unreadable face.

Kristoff's heart beat faster and he gulped nervously. "A-Alright… What is it?" _This is it! She's going to kick you out! You were just so… So pathetic!_

Anna then took his hands into her own and looked right into his deep brown eyes. "Kristoff… It has been about two weeks since I met you… Since we saved Elsa." She smiled warmly at him, "And ever since that day, all what you did was helping us in every problem we faced. You have put your trust into _thieves_ and you didn't judge us just like that. You accepted to help when we ask for it, even though you knew that it would have cost you your _head_!" She deadpanned and giggled a bit.

"Instead of going off and ditching us in the dungeons, you waited all night for us until you were sure that we were okay. Then you helped us bring Elsa here… A-And without your help, I-I know that Elsa wouldn't have made it in time. When you discovered the truth about a fort full of thieves, you didn't betray us and scurried off to inform everyone… You didn't betray _me_." She said in the gentlest voice as she cupped his cheek and smiled fondly at him, his heart beating even faster and faster.

"Then you helped Elsa laugh…" She giggled a bit when she remembered Elsa's face when she got excited for seeing Sven. "And you let her have fun with Sven and the other horses. You allowed her to feel loved! Heck you two even love carrots!" She said happily, yet still gently. "You were there for us when we needed you most and you helped without even a second thought. I see how you look at Elsa and all I see is honesty, truth and love. You don't see her as a monster the way the others do, even though you've seen what she can do. You love us all equally and you appreciate everything we try to give you." She cupped both his cheeks now and stared right into his eyes, "You have saved my life just minutes ago and you have a big heart full of warmth and love."

Kristoff was nearly at the edge of tears. No one had ever told him such nice and kind stuff.

"So tell me, Kristoff Bjorgman. How could I ever refuse someone like you to our family?" She said with a wide smile while slightly shaking her head.

Kristoff couldn't feel any happier. Could it really be happening? Did he really just find a family? A home? This woman in front of him was an angel from heaven! He stuttered for words trying to say something… Anything at all as he felt her warm hands on his cheeks. "R-… Really?!" He asked in disbelief. He never was invited to be a part of a family. Heck he was always chased away or yelled at in the streets.

Anna gazed into those sparkling brown eyes… Those chocolate brown eyes with tones of amber in them that seemed to dance in the sunlight and send tickles down her spine. She wondered if they were even real as she found herself lost in them. Wait… Since when Brown was her favorite?!

He didn't realize he was staring at her eyes too. Those bright blue-grey eyes that glittered in the light and were framed by long, thick lashes and delicate thin eyebrows. They were so full of honesty. So full of faith. So full of affection. So full of… Love.

Before Anna could stop herself, she gave him a wide smile before she leaned up and kissed his cheek, "Thank you, Kristoff... For everything." She said warmly. Her eyes widened in realization about what she just did and she quickly let go of his cheeks and took a few awkward steps back. Her face turned extremely red and she tried to avoid eye contact, "I-I uh… That was uh… A-A gift for helping us?" Anna mentally gasped at her stupid statement as she stared at the awestruck and totally surprised Kristoff. His cheeks were bright red and his jaw was slightly down. "I-I think we should go back to work." She said and laughed a bit, "And I promise you that I won't climb like a monkey anymore." She said and winked. She then walked, picked the basket and grabbed his hand. "Come on…" She said to him, motioning with her head for him to follow her.

Kristoff still looked in shock and the more he stayed silent, the more her blush grew. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear shyly and started gently pulling the poor speechless Kristoff with her.

If only one of them would have revealed their feelings instead of keeping it locked up in their hearts.

"ANNA!" A voice suddenly startled them.

Anna and Kristoff snapped out from their trance and they turned to the voice to see an extremely worried Little Lori running towards them.

Anna quickly ran to her, "What is it, Lori!? What's wrong?!" Anna asked as she knelt to the little girl's eye level.

Lori panted a bit then, "It's Zoey and Elsa!... They're out from the fort!"

"What?!" Both Anna and Kristoff shouted.

"They used the secret spot from behind the barn that you had showed us!" Lori said, her eyes wide with concern.

Anna quickly shot to her feet and turned to Kristoff, "Kristoff, what are we going to do?! We have to find them! What if they got themselves into trouble! What if-"

"Hey, hey, hey… Calm down, Anna." He said and gently held her shoulders, "We will find her, Anna… I promise you that we will find her. We can do and solve anything together. Right? We're family." He said and smiled warmly at her.

Anna still worried, smiled at his kind and soothing words and nodded with a smile.

"Come on… Let's call for the others." Kristoff gently said and held her hand, allowing her to feel the warmth from his hand.

"O-Okay…" Anna said as her face turned into… A tomato.

* * *

Anna snapped out from her day dream and found herself smiling widely like an idiot. She sighed in the silent room and turned on her side to look at Elsa. "Do you think he likes me, Elsa?" She asked to the unconscious princess. She smiled fondly at Elsa and brushed a stray platinum hair out of Elsa's face. Anna felt her heart flutter in joy when she noticed that Elsa's bruises were no longer present and flawing her face.

She winced a bit as she brushed her thumb on Elsa's left eyebrow, touching the scar that kept a tiny hairless and pale pink spot in the middle of the eyebrow, accompanied with a diagonal, a bit bleached line that ran through it. Whatever did this scar wasn't so gentle at all. She was even grateful that it didn't hurt Elsa's eye. She sighed and leaned forward, giving Elsa a kiss on her brow. "I'm sorry…" She whispered and stroked the platinum hair. "God, I'm so sorry, Elsa… I shouldn't have left you alone. Will… Will you forgive me?"

She received nothing but silence.

Anna sighed, "Look at me talking to myself." She said sarcastically in frustration. "Just know one thing, Elsa… I will never allow someone to hurt you again. Mum is already dealing with this woman… _Diana_." She said the name in a mocking tone, "We'll try and find out where they are hiding and how they're progressing. Strangely… My mum knows her! Can you believe it?" She rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling. "You know… I've been feeling weird lately." She said and rested her hands on her stomach. "It's like… She's hiding something… I don't know." She suddenly remembered what her mother told her. "Elsa… Can you keep a secret?" She asked and of course received nothing but silence. _I'll take that as a 'Yes'._ She thought and sighed.

She took a deep breath then, "I have a sister, Elsa… I _had_ a sister I never knew of." Anna confessed as she stared at the ceiling and a sudden rush of pain was felt in her head. She winced and cursed under her breath as she placed her hand on her head. _Stupid headaches…_ She shook it off and continued, "I know nothing about her at all. Not her name, not her looks… Not even what she was like. All I know that… That she's gone now." Anna finished sadly.

"You're not the only one who has a bad father, you know… Mama said that my father took my sister from us." She scoffed, "I don't even know my father but judging from what mum said… He doesn't seem like a good man at all. He had hurt my mother, Elsa… My mum can't even talk about him without crying." The thought of her mother crying broke her heart.

"I-I don't wanna even imagine how he took my sister away from me." She furrowed her eyebrows when she felt this strange feeling in her heart. She placed a hand on her heart. "You know… Sometimes I feel like my sister isn't really gone… I feel like she's still somewhere out there, Elsa. I can feel her right in my heart!" She poked her heart.

"Even _your _sister, Elsa… I don't know where she might be but I hope you find her someday." She turned her head and looked at Elsa, "Your father said that she died, but I don't believe him at all 'cause he also said that _you_ did too. Something is suspicious… Maybe they ran away? Your mama and sister? I don't know!" She covered her eyes with her arm, feeling lost and confused. "Do you think they are far away, Elsa?... Do you think that someday we might find them?... Our sisters?" Yet she still received no answer. She slid down the covers and turned to Elsa on her side.

Anna sighed. "I really hope so, Elsa… I really hope so. Someday… You'll find your sister… And I'll find mine."

* * *

"Where are you taking us?" Diana asked, feeling irritated.

Aphrodite walked in front of both Diana and Brandon, keeping her arms wrapped around her middle since she was really feeling uneasy. She sighed, "You said you wanted proof?... Well that's what I'm going to do."

"And how is that?" Diana asked as she wiped the blood from her nose with a piece of cloth that Brandon had gave her.

"You better believe after this." Aphrodite said with an intimidating voice when they reached a door.

Diana watched the door in front of them and wondered what's on the other side.

Aphrodite turned to Diana and the woman was surprised to see Aphrodite's sorrowful face. "Because I'm going to do the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life for you to do so. " Aphrodite said and made Diana confused even more.

Brandon lowered his head a bit sadly, feeling Aphrodite's sorrowful heart and knowing what Aphrodite meant.

Aphrodite turned again, put on her hood and placed her trembling hand on the doorknob, "I'm going to show you the results of my biggest mistake."

Aphrodite opened the door to reveal Anna and Elsa lying in bed.

Anna lifted herself, "Mum?" She called, a bit surprised.

Diana was still confused. _Did she really mean that her daughters were her biggest mistake?!_ She thought angrily as she glared at Aphrodite.

They all entered and Aphrodite made sure that Anna couldn't see the results of the fight she just had with Diana. "Anna… I want you to tell me something."

Diana watched Anna and Elsa together. She already knew the appearance of the nieces of her husband, Robin. The strawberry-blonde young one and the pale blonde older sister. Robin always had talked beauties about his nieces. She would never forget how much he loved them and always wanted to meet them, but unfortunately, certain circumstances didn't allow him to do so.

Anna felt confused and eyed Diana carefully, nearly even glaring at her. She nodded at her mother anyway and scooted over Elsa protectively.

Aphrodite took a deep breath then, "Who is Elsa?" She flatly asked.

Anna was really confused now. "Uhm… She's the Princess of Arendelle?"

Aphrodite nodded a thank you for replying and turned to Diana and gave her an extremely sad 'See?!'

Diana gave Aphrodite a confused look before it dawned on her and her eyes widened in realization about what was Aphrodite trying to show her. _She doesn't know?!_

Aphrodite turned at Anna again. "And who are you?"

Anna raised an eyebrow at the three in front of her, thinking that they might had all lost their heads. "Mum… Is everything alri-"

"Just!" Aphrodite cut her off and Anna was taken aback by her mother's tone.

Aphrodite sighed, "Just answer me."

Anna watched her mother worriedly now. "I-I'm Anna… A member of the guild here?"

_She doesn't remember who she is?!_ _She doesn't know it's her sister!? _Diana thought. Now things were really getting weird and shocking for her.

"Anna… Do you know anything about the Queen of Arendelle?... About Elsa's mother?"

Anna shook her head slowly as her eyebrows creased a line of bewilderment, feeling as if she was being interrogated.

Diana was staring at Anna and Aphrodite in real shock, her eyes were a bit wide. _She doesn't remember anything!_

"Anna… I want you to leave us for a moment. Can you do that, Sunshine?" She asked gently this time with a sad and tired smile.

Anna brought Elsa closer to her protectively and glared at Diana's battered face.

"Don't worry. We'll keep Elsa safe. Promise." Brandon assured with a smile.

"_Please_, Anna." Aphrodite pleaded with the most suppliant voice.

Anna finally nodded slowly after hearing her mother's desperate voice. "A-Alright… I'll go see where Rapunzel is." She said and moved out of bed, only to approach Diana very closely to a point where their faces were inches away and she glared at her, "You deserve so much more than a beating for what you did to Elsa." Anna snarled with a voice so full of hatred and rage. She poked the woman's chest, "You better stay away from her… If she's harmed, you're dead to me." She intimidated.

Diana leaned a bit backwards as she felt Anna's rage spilling on her.

Anna then scoffed at the woman's silence and went out from the room and closed the door behind her.

"Well… She really _is_ your daughter. She got her mother's fiery temper." Diana said mockingly and Aphrodite rolled her eyes.

"There's still more." Aphrodite said regretfully while looking at Elsa and wrapping her arms around her middle. She let down her hood, "Come…" She motioned for her to follow as she went to sit next to Elsa.

Diana followed her and Brandon leaned on the nightstand.

Aphrodite sat next to Elsa, while she allowed her tears to stream freely. She leaned forward and caressed Elsa's head, "This… Is the results of my b-biggest mistake." Aphrodite said as she stared sorrowfully at Elsa's face. Her hand trembled as she hovered it above Elsa back. "You said that you d-didn't believe me… Then it's the only way to show you the truth." Her trembling hand slowly slid down the covers from Elsa's back and revealed the horror of Elsa's past life.

Diana's eyes shot extremely wide and she quickly slapped her mouth to stop a huge gasp from escaping as she took a step back from the horrifying and nauseating scene.

"S-See this?" Aphrodite asked as her weak voice and breath trembled. "S-See what he did to my daughter after I left her?! See how she was l-living all those years?! See how my baby was suffering while I hid here like a coward!? See what _I_ did to her!? Look at her! See with your own eyes! YOU WANTED YOUR STUPID PROOF! LOOK!" Aphrodite screamed and couldn't handle it anymore. She threw herself on Elsa and held her in her arms.

Diana was shaking her head in disbelief as her eyes became teary, her hand still shutting her mouth. She slowly backed away and felt light-headed from the sight and the disturbing truth. She slowly sat down on a chair, trying to comprehend all those lies she'd been living in her home. _He killed him! He killed him! He was the one who killed him! HE KILLED MY HUSBAND! He tortured my family! He left my son fatherless! _

Brandon quickly ran to Aphrodite and sat at the bedside next to her to try and calm her as she wailed over her daughter.

"I lost _everything_ to him! I lost my brother! I lost my daughter! I lost my pride! I lost my life! I lost EVERYTHING because of him!" Aphrodite wailed again, more to herself. _I want my daughter! I want my brother back_! She cried in her mind like a little hopeless broken little girl who missed her big brother so much. Her hand came to her neck to try to remember the necklace he had gave her on his own birthday when they were little. The only thing that reminded her of him was lost long ago back at the ambush.

Diana felt her tears trickle down her face as she remembered her beloved husband and never realized all that time until now that there was someone else suffering with the loss of their own family. Robin _was_ Aphrodite's brother anyway. Diana was so full of hatred towards Aphrodite that it blinded her from so much other more important things._ The lies! The truth! The screams… THE SCREAMS!_

* * *

Later that night…

_He was shocked to see himself standing in the middle of a frozen courtyard where an ice storm raged on. Everything around him was frozen. Snow and ice covered the entire kingdom. He looked behind him to see the frozen royal castle. He knew it! That was Arendelle's castle courtyard. How did he get here?! He tried to shield his eyes from the snow storm and tried to look around to get a better look. _

_There was no one around. It was as if everyone had evacuated the kingdom! He was able to see two fountains that were frozen in a disturbing and flawed way. But his eyes went wide when he noticed a figure standing in between them and behind him was a long wooden post. "Hello?!" He called to try to come closer._

_When he came closer, he realized that the figure was… a woman! She had white really long hair that reached her legs and she had white skin. She wore a white wrinkled and shredded robe. Her hair was flying in every direction from the storm. Her back was turned to him and he couldn't see her face._

_Then, his eyes went incredibly wide when the woman turned to face him. _Oh my god…_ He thought as the most horrifying scene was unraveled in front of him: There were two spears impaling her belly in opposite directions. One from her back and the other from her stomach letting out blood in huge amounts on the floor and staining her entire robe._

"_Ma'am! Y-You need help quickly!" He shouted and ran to her but the woman just stood there, her eyes closed and she was utterly calm._

"_I see you're hiding something." The woman calmly said, her voice unnaturally and completely clear, despite the blizzard raging around them, and it was echoing as if they were in a huge empty hall._

_He stopped dead in his tracks and he turned pale when the woman opened her eyes to reveal pitch black eyes that had no irises at all._

_The woman lifted her pale hand, "I see a hidden truth in your heart." She said and touched his chest._

_He quickly backed away from her, his eyes wide with fear. "W-Who are you?! WHAT are you!? W-Where is everyone!? What have you done to them!?" He asked._

"_I see one shall bring you apart." The woman continued anyway as she slowly lowered her hand._

"_W-What…? Who are you talking about?!"_

"_Unnatural beauty, Unnatural fate." The woman pointed at her pitch black eyes, then at somewhere behind him. He turned and realized that she was pointing at the iced ground in the middle of the courtyard where a single blue blooming rose oddly grew out from the ice._

_He shook his head, not understanding a thing. He turned to run away from this demon but he was stopped as his heart stopped on the next words._

"_The one born of ice, born of cold!" The woman shouted for him, trying to make him understand._

_He quickly turned to face her, "What did you say!?" He asked in disbelief._

"_Lived in fear, she was mauled." The woman only kept continuing. _

_He watched her as she continued._

"_Hurt by madness, feelings in a twister." The woman chanted.__ "__Healed by mother, saved by sister."_

_He was completely shocked, "How did you-"_

"_She's not the one, in time you'll see." The woman cut him off, "Your true love is not yet free__ . . . __But listen to me, patience is key."_

What? _He thought, completely confused at the woman's words. "You mean… E-Elsa?"_

"_Evil…" She pointed at the spear that impaled her from her stomach, "And Good…" She pointed at the right spear that impaled her from her back, "Shall collide in opposite direction . . . And only then will she find peace and affection."_

_He was horrified when her voice started to change into a demonic one, accompanied by other multiple unnatural voices that escaped those crimson red lips of hers._

"_Magic she has. Magic she hates . . . Her past lies beyond those gates." The woman said as she pointed around her at the blizzard then pointed at the castle doors. The woman continued to chant, each part in a completely different voice._

_Friend, Enemy, Family embrace.__  
__Hurt, Pain, Betrayal, Disgrace._

_The woman's expression started to turn from blank to shocked and fearful as if she was seeing something only she could._

_Beware the selfish greedy snake,  
For it shall whisper secrets to the fox._

"_I-I don't understand! Please! Explain to me!" He shouted and pleaded._

_The malicious fox laughs in victory  
The mother wolf howls in misery_

The woman's expression started to turn sad as she started to cry.

_The one she cares about the most, will be in danger__  
__She had enough! She'll become a stranger!_

_The woman's eyes started to glow white and black tears started pouring down from them as her voice turned from the once soothing and womanly one to complete mixes of horror all roaring louder and louder at the same time. The storm getting worse and worse._

_She drank the liquid of a wretched sea!__  
__Under her feet someone will plea!_

_Blood started coming down her face. He started to back away from this monstrosity and quickly turned to run, only to be shocked to see her right in front of him again. He started to back away as she started to advance on him while he felt an earthquake._

_Blood on her face, blood on her hands!__  
__A malicious smile with invisible fangs!_

_The woman's skin started to shed out from her body and turned to ashes, her face melting. His back hit something and he looked up to see that it was the bloody wooden pole._

"_What in God's name is happening?!" He shouted to himself, terrorized by her hideous appearance as she started to glow and turn to ashes._

_Only then your truth shall come out!__  
__But her heart will be already burnt out!_

_She pointed an accusing finger at him. The voices started to scream in an unholy way. Half of the woman's face had already melted. She let out a scream of pain and collapsed to the ground and the blizzard suddenly died down and he quickly ran to her side for some reason despite his extreme fear._

_When he touched her shoulder she shot her half face up with those holes in her eyes and screamed in multiple voices._

"_OH MY GOD!" He screamed and fell backwards, crawling away from her again as he trembled in terror and tried to close his ears since her voice was extremely loud._

_Back behind bars, her sanity will fade!_

"_WHAT!?"_

_ MONSTERS AREN'T BORN! THEY ARE MAAAAAADE!_

* * *

Aiden shot up in his bed with a loud gasp, feeling unable to breath, sweat running down his entire body and he was panting as if he just ran miles. He brought a trembling hand through his hair and tried to calm himself down as he looked around at his familiar dim bedroom. "W-W-What… The hell…" He asked himself, still feeling horrified. He didn't wanted to believe what he just heard from this woman. The woman was clearly talking about one person. _Elsa?..._ He thought and quickly shook his head not wanting to believe a thing. _Just a dream… Yes._ He convinced himself and laid back in his bed and brought back his covers above him. _Just a dream…_

* * *

**Let's hear your analysis for the dream ;) **


	41. Beauty & The Beast

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXXVIII: Beauty &amp; The Beast

Aphrodite winced and hissed in pain when Brandon gently placed a cold wet piece of cloth on the bruise at the corner of her forehead.

"Does it hurt?" He asked apologetically, retreating his hand a bit.

"What do you think?" She replied flatly.

The two sat at the edge of the bed while Brandon held Aphrodite's chin up with one hand and with the other hand tried to sooth the pain of the bruises that had been caused by the fight she had with Diana.

"No one forced you to get into a fight with her." Brandon said with a smirk as he moved the piece of cloth to wipe away the blood from the split she had at the corner of her lip.

"She hit me first!" Aphrodite defended with a glare.

Brandon gave her a 'Really, now?' Look so she sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You know she did that out of anger. She blamed you for Robin's death. She's just confused. Instead of understanding her pain and accepting it, you punched her back!" He said as he chuckled.

"So you're saying that I just should have been a punching bag for her?" She asked, feeling a bit irritated. "I should have used that knife when I had the chance… She's such a bi- Ouch!" Aphrodite yelped when Brandon pressed purposely harder on her bruise.

"Sorry." Brandon apologized with a sly smile.

She raised an amused eyebrow at him, "You did that on purpose."

"Nope." Brandon lied and shook his head as he gave her an innocent look that didn't look so innocent at all on his hard face.

"Yes… You did." Aphrodite said and batted her eyelashes at him, mocking his _failed _attempt at putting an innocent face.

"No… I didn't." He lied again with a smirk and batted his eyelashes back, making Aphrodite chuckle a bit.

Brandon suddenly found himself lost in those piercing green eyes that shone like precious emeralds.

A moment of silence passed before Aphrodite noticed his gaze and she made a confused face, "What?" She asked, clearly oblivious to what he was thinking and snapped him out from his trance.

Brandon's eyes widened and he started to stutter, "I-I uh… There's a scratch here." He awkwardly said and moved to wipe her cheek that honestly had no scratch at all, trying to avoid eye contact as his cheeks turned red. "S-So where's Diana?" He asked, trying to hide his nervousness.

Aphrodite sighed, "She went to take a walk around, trying to comprehend the lies she have been living. Give her time. I know she'll understand." She replied and luckily to him she didn't notice his blush.

"And you trust enough to leave her to roam free in the fort?" Brandon asked.

"She's my brother's wife, Brandon. She might be angry at me but she's loyal to her husband."

Brandon nodded understandably.

A moment of silent passed as the two sat together, one helping the other ease her pain, before Brandon's mind started to roll in curiosity.

"Aphrodite?" He called nervously.

"Hm?"

Brandon took a deep breath before he spoke again, "How… How did you meet him?"

Aphrodite's eyebrows furrowed since she didn't understand the question, "Who?"

Brandon bit his lip, "You know… Jamie." He said uncertainly.

Aphrodite's eyes widened a bit at the sudden question. "W-Why do you wanna know?"

Brandon placed the wet piece of cloth on the nightstand, "J-Just curious… Since you know, you and Robin were-"

"Peasants?" She finished for him, crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"W-Well… Yeah." He said and lowered his head a bit, feeling shameful and hoping that he didn't offend her.

"And I wish I'm still one." She said a bit sadly. "It's annoying when people think that a life of royalty is an amazing life of glamour." She scoffed, "Look how _amazing_ and _glamorous_ mine is." She said with sarcasm spilling from her mouth while pointing at herself and rolling her eyes. "But to answer your suspicions… I didn't whore myself through—"

"I didn't mean—!" Brandon tried to tell her that he didn't mean to say it in a bad way at all but she cut him off.

"The point is…!" She lifted a hand to his face to stop him, "We somehow… F-Fell in love." She turned away from Brandon and looked at the ground feeling regretful, "A _blind_ love, I tell."

"But how _did_ you meet?" He asked, feeling more curious.

Aphrodite sighed and lowered her head. "Well…"

* * *

**Aphrodite's Flashback**

Nineteen year old Aphrodite walked in the streets of Arendelle between the citizens, keeping her head down and her face covered with a hood. _I need to do this for my mother… I need to do this for my mother. _She repeated in her head, trying to ease her feeling of guilt.

She knew it. They had nothing in their small farm. Nothing to feed them or nothing to sell to provide gold. Her mother was sick and she needed to do the only thing that would keep her mother alive at least. And that was to steal food. Robin had tried his best to work in this _new_ guild he joined so he could feed his mother and sister, but it wasn't enough. Aphrodite then decided that if she was going to count on a mysterious guild, they would never eat or live properly.

She lifted her head a bit and tried to find a busy stand where she could steal bread from. She got sight of one and a satisfied smile was drawn on her face. She lowered her head again and walked towards it, making sure her moves would be swift and sneaky. When she approached the stand, she could already see that the merchant was busy with other customers and she took that to her advantage. She kept walking fast, and without stopping, she snatched a loaf of bread.

When she didn't hear the merchant's shout or yell, she knew she was successful. She quickly hid the loaf under her cloak and started hurrying her way out of sight and into a dark alleyway between the houses.

Aphrodite had her heart thrumming inside her chest since it was her first time stealing ever! She was panting and feeling completely nervous since she was still feeling guilty. But what could she do? She _needed_ the bread. Not for herself but for her mother. She removed her hood and took a peek from behind the corner to see if anyone had followed her, and luckily to her, there was no one. She exhaled in relief and revealed the bread from behind her cloak as she smiled down at it widely in relief. _That wasn't hard now, wasn't it?... Don't worry Mother… I'm coming. _

She hid the loaf back under her cloak, put her hood back on and turned to leave before she heard threats from men. She turned back at the alleyway and tried to listen more. She heard a yelp and her curiosity and worry got the best of her. She bit her lip and her head darted from the alleyway and the loaf. She groaned in frustration and cursed herself since she knew she couldn't just leave whoever needed help. She frowned and carefully and sneakily continued further along the alleyway to see what was happening. She slowly poked her head to try and see.

Her eyes widened when she saw two men cornering a hooded person.

"You do know that it's not safe for a royal to come out like this alone now, don't you, your highness? I bet your father and mother are looking for you." One of the men intimidated as he chuckled.

_Highness?!_ Aphrodite thought as she stared at the scene in shock. The hooded person didn't wear any royal garments. Instead he was wearing dirty pants and a vest like any peasant. But that damn hood didn't allow her to see the person's face.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk… Sneaking out from your own castle?" The other man said.

"You'll help us get rich too. I think your Mama and Papa would gladly pay for having their precious child in one piece." The man said before he pulled out a dagger from his belt and pinned the figure to the wall. "Now… Which part you want me to cut off first?... Your tongue perhaps?"

Aphrodite watched horrified as the hooded figure tried to struggle. Not knowing what else to do and in her panic, Aphrodite-without thinking- jumped from behind the corner and shouted, "Leave him alone!"

The two men turned at her with shocked wide eyes.

Aphrodite's eyes widened and she wanted to strangle herself for what she just did! _Oh crap. Nice move smarty pants! _"U-Uh…" She made a goofy smile, "Yup!" She stomped her feet on the ground and tried to puff her chest, trying to look intimidating. "You heard me… Leave him alone." Her voice was calm and confident.

The two men laughed at the young nineteen year old girl. "Aggressive one, aren't you?" The one who was pinning the royal said.

Aphrodite gulped and tried to be brave, "I-If you don't let him go I'll—"

"You'll what?" The other man started advancing towards her slowly with a smirk.

Aphrodite had an idea and she smirked at him slyly, "I'm off to call for the guard… Ba-Bye!" She said and quickly dashed, making sure to see if they were following since that what she wanted.

The two men's eyes widened in fear and they quickly chased after her, "Get her!" They let go of the royal and started sprinting after her.

Aphrodite ran as fast as she could, pushing and dodging-nearly tackling- people on her way.

"Come back here!" One of the men shouted.

"S-She's a thief!" The other man randomly accused, honestly not knowing that she really was one.

_Damn!_ Aphrodite cursed and ran faster but she started to feel extremely exhausted and she knew she was going to get caught. _They're going to catch me!_

Citizens gave her weird looks as she ran and luckily to her, she had her hood on and no one was able to see her face.

Aphrodite knew they were going to catch up to her and she felt desperate. She shoved vegetables and barrels behind her from the merchants' stands to try and create obstacles for her chasers.

Luckily to her, the men stumbled and slipped, causing chaos around them.

Aphrodite looked one last time behind her and smirked, feeling her heart race in joy and relief.

She quickly turned on a corner, behind a house, and entered yet another dim alley. She had her back to the wall and she was panting heavily from all that running. "Oh god…" She sighed in relief. Her eyes widened in surprise when she heard the men's voice again.

"Search somewhere here! She could be anywhere!"

Aphrodite quickly darted her head around, trying to find a way or a place to hide. Luckily, her eyes landed on a huge pile of hay and she knew that it was her savior. Without wasting a moment, Aphrodite ran to the pile of hay and hid inside, trying to stay silent. '_Just get a piece of bread', I said… 'Nothing will happen!', I said! _She thought mockingly and felt frustrated at herself, wanting to slap her forehead. Her eyes widened when she heard the men's voices close and she quickly shut her mouth with her hands, trying to keep her breath steady.

"She got away." One of the men growled and cursed under his breath.

"So be it. We scared the hell out of her. She won't dare do anything." The other man said.

_Try me._ Aphrodite thought and frowned, feeling irritated that those brute men thought that she was a coward.

"Come on." The first one patted the other on the back, "That taught her not to mess with us." He said and they both finally left.

Aphrodite sighed in relief. "That was close…" She said to herself before she got out of the hay. She brushed straw from her clothes and picked out the ones stuck in her hair. She smiled victoriously before she heard footsteps of someone running, and they were getting closer but she couldn't make from which way they were coming from since the sound echoed around her. She quickly turned and started to run, looking behind to try and make sure that no one was following her but- "OOF!" She bumped into someone and they both fell backwards to the ground.

Aphrodite was thrown back hard to the ground and she grunted in pain. She lifted herself on her elbows and rubbed her forehead in pain. Her eyes then suddenly widened when she saw the one she collided with.

The figure lifted himself on his elbows too and didn't realize that his own hood was down.

Aphrodite had her jaw slack as she watched the person in front of her. "YOU'RE A GIRL!" She shouted before she could stop herself.

A girl, not older than _she_ was, lifted herself on her elbows to stare right back in shock at Aphrodite. The girl had strawberry-blonde hair wrapped up in a messy bun and leaving a few clusters of hair to dangle above her blue-grey eyes. The girl's eyes widened, "Oh my god sorrysorrysorry! I'm just a bit… C-Clumsy and I uh… wasn't looking where I was going, and I had those brutes following me annnnnd—you're staring at me like I'm some sort of lunatic- my name is Catherine. Nice to meet you. What's your name?"

Aphrodite stared dumbfounded at the teenage in front of her. She found herself staring jaw-slacked and stuttering words, "Uh…" Was her only reply.

"Oh wait a sec..." Catherine squinted her eyes, taking a better look at the young woman in front of her, before she suddenly gasped and even made Aphrodite flinch a bit in surprise, "You were the one who saved meeee!" The girl shouted happily, while pointing straight at Aphrodite.

"Wait." Aphrodite's eyes widened in realization, "That was YOU!?... With those men?!" She asked in shock and her voice started to quiver, realizing she was caught and busted not only by a girl… but by THE royal herself, "So t-that makes you a—"

"Princess." The princess flatly said and rolled her eyes, brushing the dust from her shoulder while still sitting on the ground. "I know." She finished with a not-so-happy voice.

"B-But you're a kid!" Aphrodite said irritated, "What were you doing outside the castle!?"

"Hey! I'm sixteen by the way!" The girl defended and glared at Aphrodite while crossing her arms in a childish manner and pouted.

A Pause. Silence. Curiosity.

"My name's Princess Catherine of Arendelle… And you are?" The princess asked curiously.

"Why do you wanna know?" Aphrodite asked grumpily with a frown, trying her best to hide the bread.

"May I know the name of my savior?" Catherine asked with a mischievous smirk while pointing dramatically with her palm at the young nervous woman.

Hesitation. "M-My name's… Aphrodite." Aphrodite said nervously. But that nervousness suddenly changed into a self-mocking frown, "Aphrodite of _A wooden shack in the woods_." She said flatly as if she hated life itself, avoiding eye contact and looking somewhere next to the princess.

Catherine laughed at Aphrodite's blunt reply. "Well it is a pleasure to meet you, _Princess Aphrodite of a wooden shack in the woods_… What a _long_ name for a kingdom!" Catherine said playfully and dramatically, trying to curtsey while still sitting, before she got into a fits of laughter.

Aphrodite tried to suppress a giggle at the Princess's playful and unladylike behavior. She tucked a stray strand of brunette hair behind her ear nervously, thinking cautiously about her next words. _She doesn't look like she noticed that I stole…_ Aphrodite thought in relief. "So… A Runaway Princess, huh?" Aphrodite asked with a smirk.

The princess was caught off guard by the question since she suddenly stopped laughing.

Aphrodite felt that her words were a bit harsh and she felt a tint of guilt, so she decided to go more sympathetic, "What drove you to run away from your own castle, your highness?" She asked softly.

"Ugh please don't call me that… Just call me Catherine." The Princess rolled her eyes and strangely… Avoided eye contact.

"Catherine." Aphrodite tried the name on her tongue.

"Yup." Catherine confirmed with a cheerful voice, yet the hint of hidden sadness didn't go unnoticed by Aphrodite.

An awkward moment passed between the two before Aphrodite finally spoke, "Uhm… So why did you leave?" She repeated the question since Catherine avoided it a few moments ago.

Catherine winced a bit and sighed, "Well…" Catherine made a circle with her finger in the dirt, "I just wanted some time alone to… _Think._" Cheerful voice was gone.

"About…?" Aphrodite's curiosity grew.

Catherine looked around nervously a bit. Those damn blue-grey orbs not staying still and only hovering around in Catherine's eyes. She brought her legs to her chest and rested her arms on her knees with her chin on top. "I'm…"

A pause. Two. Three. Maybe even four…

"Betrothed to a stupid prince in a faraway kingdom." Catherine said sadly.

A tiny translation from Catherine's mind: Betrothed = Doomed

"Father and Mother want to send me there and…" Catherine groaned in frustration and buried her face between her arms, "I just don't want to get married now!" She shook her head, hiding her face between her knees.

"What?!" Aphrodite exclaimed, "But you're sixteen!"

"And a half!" Catherine shot her head up and defended. "Mother said that I don't need to get married right away but that I should live with my own… '_Future husband'_" Catherine made invisible quotations with her fingers in a mocking way, "And build a _bond_ until I'm old enough to get married." She groaned again and threw her hands up in exasperation. "I never even met him!" She shouted and buried her face back in her arms and between her knees.

* * *

"You are to be betrothed to the son and heir of The Kingdom of Lothaelin."

"Father… Mother! PLEASE! I don't want this! I never asked for it!" Catherine tried to reason while pleading for the king and queen of Arendelle, who had come to her room a few moments ago, only to greet her with such _horrible _news.

"It's not up to you to decide, Catherine." Her father scolded while folding his hands neatly behind his straight back.

The queen approached her and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder while smiling soothingly, yet Catherine flinched a bit. The queen's soothing smile turned into a sad one, "Catherine… You are destined for great things. Your marriage will save your kingdom!... Your people! Arendelle and Loathelin will join together and become great allies." The Queen tried to cheer.

Catherine's glossy blue-grey eyes were now filled with tears as her lip quivered, "B-But it so far away!" She tried to argue again.

"I know, love… But you're a princess. You have duties and responsibilities that you have to think of for your kingdom—"

"On my account!?" Catherine exclaimed desperately. "Can't… HE be the one to come and live with us?!"

"It doesn't work that way, _Princess_." Her father reminded with a warning tone.

"CATHERINE!" Catherine exclaimed in anger, "My name is Catherine! Stop calling me 'Princess'"

The queen was taken aback by her daughter's tone, "A princess doesn't raise her voice." She scolded and that made Catherine groan loudly in irritation.

The queen continued, "Sacrifices must be made, love. You just ha—"

"It's not FAIR!" The distraught princess cried out, her tears spilling freely now.

"You're talking as if Marriage is a bad thing!" The king said.

"Sweety, you shouldn't be afraid of marriage… Look at us for a moment. We turned out pretty good!" The queen tried to encourage her daughter.

"You fight every night!" Catherine blurted angrily, her fists clenched tight and trembling.

The king and queen rolled their eyes. "That doesn't matter now." The queen said.

Catherine felt completely desperate, "J-Jamie won't accept this!" Her voice shook.

At the mention of their son and heir, the king and queen sighed. "Your brother is quite upset. Yes." _Angry even._ The king thought, "But he agreed that you are to be betrothed, because he is _wise_ and mature enough to understand our duty for the kingdom!... Unlike someone else I know." The king said and clearly hinted at his daughter.

_No… he wouldn't! _Catherine thought, feeling betrayed by her brother.

"You're lying!" Catherine dared exclaim.

The king's face turned red in fury, "How DARE you!" He yelled, his majestic voice shaking the entire castle.

"I don't want to be sent away! I want to stay here with my brother! My mother an—"

"Stop it, right now!" The king howled.

"But—"

"NOW!" The king roared his final word echoed in the entire castle and sent shivers down his wife and daughter's back.

Catherine froze while her face was stained with tears. She tried to keep herself straight and with a head held high, trying to hide her heartbreak. Her sorrows. Her eyes were wet with tears, her lip quivered as well as her breath. She slowly took a step back… then another, before her entire posture broke after letting out a loud sob of despair. Catherine quickly turned and left the room, ignoring her parents' calls, and the servants' she passed by.

* * *

Aphrodite was flabbergasted.

"So you ran away from your castle," Aphrodite started counting on her fingers, "And you decided to abandon your luxurious life… And live in the streets with no food or water?!" She asked in disbelief, thinking about how her own life was comparing to Catherine's.

"When you say it like that, you make it sound _bad_." Catherine deadpanned while fiddling with her hands nervously and wincing a bit.

"It IS bad!" Aphrodite exclaimed with a punch to the ground, still not believing that a princess might leave her own castle… But—

_Why?_

Princess Catherine grimaced under Aphrodite's loud voice, "Well…" She started as she took in Aphrodite's words. "I just don't want to leave my brother." Catherine said and distractingly brushed her gloved hand with her bare one that Aphrodite just actually noticed.

She wondered why was the princess wearing one glove instead of two. She didn't dwell about the idea though. _It might have slipped off when those two douchebags had their grip on her._

"Uhm… A-Aphrodite?" Catherine suddenly and nervously called, snapping Aphrodite out from her trance.

Aphrodite turned her head to the princess and gulped, "Y-Yes?" _She's going to arrest you! She knows you're a damn thief!_

Catherine bit her lip and smiled awkwardly, "I… wanted to tell you…"

Aphrodite's heartbeat quickened.

"I wanted to say 'Thank you.'" Catherine gently said with a generous smile.

"What?... For what?!" Aphrodite's confusion got the better of her and she forgot about the thievery thing.

"For saving my life, of course!" Catherine said happily and then smirked, "Even though…" She crossed her arms, "You know…" She winked and pointed at the bump under Aphrodite's cloak, referring to the stolen piece of bread.

Aphrodite's eyes widened and her first instincts were to run since she was totally caught red-handed. "T-This is not what you think it is! I-I just needed this," She held the loaf up for the princess to see, "T-T-To give it to my—" She suddenly stopped as her eyes shot even wider when the girl in front of her burst out in loud fits of laughter, clutching her stomach. _What? _Aphrodite watched her in total bewilderment.

Catherine laughed at the poor older, freaked-out girl.

Aphrodite frowned and felt mocked, "What's so funny?"

Catherine tried to stop her laughter but failed. "Y-You stole a loaf of bread!" She managed to say, pointing at Aphrodite before bursting into laughter again.

"Shhh! Keep your voice down!" Aphrodite whispered urgently, still not understanding why the princess was laughing, "For all I know, you should be arresting me!"

Catherine shook her head, still giggling a bit, "If you want me to arrest you for stealing a loaf of bread," She trailed off and tucked her hand behind her cloak then out again.

Aphrodite's eyes widened when she saw what the princess revealed behind her own cloak.

"Then it means I should arrest myself too!" Catherine said and revealed a loaf of bread in her hand.

"You stole that!?" Aphrodite exclaimed, feeling utterly confused.

Catherine gave her an innocent shrug and a wide smirk.

"Why would you even steal that?! You're the princess for god's sake!" Aphrodite was now irritated. It took every bit of willpower for her to ignore her guilt or even dare to steal! And the only reason she did it was to give her hungry ill mother the food she _needed_. "Your castle is probably full of everything you ever wish for! And definitely even better food than just a loaf of bread!"

Catherine threw the loaf of bread up and down on her hand, marveling at her accomplishment. "Well we do, but I wanted to try something that isn't so fancy! Father said…" She changed her voice into a deep manly one so she could try and mimic her father's, "Royals don't eat peasant food. It's too inferior for us royals. We deserve the best and healthiest nourishment." She changed her voice back into her normal one, "I had to try _something_ from the peasant's market!" She brought the bread to her mouth and took a bite, emitting crunching sounds that actually made Aphrodite's empty stomach growl.

Aphrodite had vowed not to eat a thing, not before her mother did or not before giving her the needs first.

"You seem hungry." Catherine said with a mouth full.

Aphrodite quickly clutched her stomach to try and make it stop from growling or screaming for food, but it was already too late and Catherine had heard it already.

"You have the loaf… Eat it then." Catherine said as she munched on another bite.

Aphrodite lowered her head and looked at the bread, "That's not for me." She said calmly, with a hint of sadness.

"Why did you steal it then?" Catherine asked.

Aphrodite's eyes got teary and blurry and she quickly wiped them away before the tears could fall. "It's for my mother…" A pause. "She's ill."

Catherine stopped eating as her hand froze and her eyes widened. "Oh…" She lowered the bread to her lap and looked at Aphrodite with remorse and sympathy, feeling stupid and guilty. "I'm sorry…" She said softly, with a voice no longer so loud and squeaky. Catherine's eyes widened when she had an idea and her face lit up. "Maybe I can ask my father to give you g—"

"No!" Aphrodite cut her off, holding her hand up and knowing what the princess was about to say. "I don't need help. I can handle myself and I'll find a way on my own to help my mother. But thank you for the offer."

"Just a bit of gold—"

"No!... Your highness!" Aphrodite cut her off again with a yell.

Catherine's face fell. She turned her face away and crossed her arms. "I have a name you know." She said and pouted angrily.

_What's up with her and names!? _Aphrodite thought. "Sorry," Aphrodite lowered her eyes. "Catherine." She sighed in regret. "I'm sorry. I know you mean well. But I just don't want anything from anyone."

Catherine lowered her head, not knowing what to say to a woeful young woman. Her bare hand distractingly went back to brush her gloved hand as if out of habit.

Aphrodite noticed this, "I think you lost your glove." She said, pointing at Catherine's bare hand.

Catherine's eyes widened and she quickly hid her gloved hand instead behind her back. "No-no!... I uh… I always wear one g-glove. It's uhm… I-It's nothing really." Catherine stuttered and bit her lip as her body tensed.

Aphrodite was surprised how Catherine suddenly seemed uneasy and actually alarmed, looking around nervously and avoiding eye contact.

"Okay…?" Aphrodite didn't even ponder about the subject. It was just a glove.

After a moment, Catherine let her guard down and finally turned to look at Aphrodite and smiled, "You know, you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help from a friend."

Aphrodite smiled at that. The princess of Arendelle calling her 'A friend'? "Now I'm your friend?" She asked with a smirk.

"But of course!" Catherine exclaimed happily. "You saved my life!"

"She did?!" A voice suddenly asked.

Both startled young women turned to see a young man standing in between two guards in the shadows.

* * *

Brandon's eyes widened, "Elsa and Anna have an aunt?!"

Aphrodite nodded silently, keeping her eyes on her lap.

"Well… Where is she?" Brandon asked as he scratched his head.

Aphrodite looked at Brandon and was taken aback by the question for some reason. She sighed and turned her face away again, wondering herself how to answer the question she had no answer for.

"I don't know."

* * *

**Aphrodite's Flashback**

"Jamie!" Catherine exclaimed happily and ran to hug her brother.

The young man was nearly knocked out of balance by his little sister as he tried to steady himself while she squeezed the life out of him. He laughed nervously and hugged back.

Aphrodite watched the two royals hug in astonishment.

Catherine suddenly opened her eyes, broke the hug by pushing him away and glared at her big brother, "You stupid boorish man! How dare you agree to send me away like this!?" Her voice was furious yet it had a great hint of hurt and a feeling of betrayal underneath. "I thought you were with me! NOT _against _me!"

"I'm never against you, Catherine." The Prince said calmly and a bit ashamed.

"Oh so you're NOT against me but you clearly said that it's good to send me away?" She said, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at him with sarcasm spilling from her mouth like a waterfalls.

"It's not _good_ that you're going away from here… But it's _great_ that you're doing your duty for your kingdom." The Prince simply replied.

"The kingdom!" Catherine sneered, "That's all you care about!" She snapped at him, "You, Papa, Mama… You don't care about family at all! You only care about your kingdom!"

"Your Highness… Shall we call off the search party?" One of the guards asked with a stoic face.

Jamie turned for a brief moment just to give the man a very stiff simple nod. He turned back to his furious sister and smiled, "Your kingdom _is_ your family."

Catherine frowned. "How about I marry the entire kingdom, wouldn't that help it too?" She said mockingly.

Jamie sighed, "It doesn't work that way."

"I _know_ marriage doesn't work that way! What do you think I'm stupid?! Why don't YOU go marry a princess?! Why should _I_ be the one to marry a—" Catherine stopped mid-sentence when she finally noticed the frozen Aphrodite who was staring at the two with a jaw slacked, anxiety all over her face, trying to hide the loaf of bread as much as she could. Catherine suddenly smirked. "Oh brotherrrr…" She sing-songed. "Iwantyoutomeetsomeone!" She quickly said.

Catherine's perspective about the idea of Love went like this:_ Royal or peasant, as long as there's love, ranks don't matter._

Before Jamie could reply or react, Catherine dragged him out, out of the shadows, to stand right in front of Aphrodite.

"Meet Aphrodite!" She went behind Aphrodite and gave her an encouraging- not so gentle- push towards The Prince that their chest nearly collided if Aphrodite hadn't steadied herself in time. "Of a wooden shack in the woods." Catherine added and winked at Aphrodite who wanted to just strangle the young girl.

When the Prince had emerged from the shadows, Aphrodite's eyes had grown wide as she beheld the greatest creations of God. His silvery eyes were like glimmering steel that shone to light an entire land with its beautiful appearance. They were the color of the sea in the dim moon light. His skin was tan, but fair nonetheless. It just went perfectly with his eyes. His small growing mustache was decorating his face. He was tall and handsome alright. He didn't have a huge built frame, but instead he was actually thin…A good kind of _thin_ that had muscles enough to make him look very much presentable for a prince. Not too huge, not to skinny. Just… Perfect. Poor Aphrodite still didn't realize that she was staring, mouth agape, with wide eyes.

The Young prince was more than astonished. Since WHEN did peasants have such a gorgeous appearance?! He couldn't, in no way what so ever, keep his eyes off of hers! Her eyes were the glimmering color of emerald, sparkling in the light of the morning sun like a fresh sheen of morning dew. When she turned her head, this way and that, they caught the light and played tricks with anything and everything that screamed 'Spring'. And when she lifted her beautiful face to the sky, emerald shifted into the color of deep ocean shimmering in the moonlight. He never liked green, but the color sure as hell suited her, and he found himself loving it. The color was so beautiful to him now, that it made stinky green swamps look lovely. Her skin fair and a bit pale. Was she pale because she was sickly? Or was it just her skin color? Neverthless, she was gorgeous. Period.

"Uhhh…" Both The prince and peasant managed to say.

Catherine watched the two with the widest goofy, yet excited smile on her face. She snickered with herself at the two, her naïve mind simply seeing their future together as husband and wife.

What was Catherine seeing?... A beautiful future.

If only she wasn't blind.

"Hellooo! Earth to you two! Can anyone hear me?" Catherine said teasingly, snapping both of them out of their trance.

It was only then did the two realize that they were close… too close to each other.

Aphrodite quickly backed away and nervously coughed and looked around. "Uhm… Y-Your Highness." She moved to curtesy but—

The Prince quickly stopped her and held her hand, shooting a shiver down her spine as he did, "Please…" He said gently and a bit desperate. He brought her hand smoothly to his lips and planted a soft and modest kiss on her knuckle. "Jamie… Prince Jamie of Arendelle… But you can call me by my name if you please." He said with the most tender voice. "Aphrodite… A name after the goddess of Love and Beauty… I see your parents weren't mistaken in choosing such a name."

Catherine snorted and stifled a laugh, watching the speechless Aphrodite's red face. She decided then to relieve the poor girl from her frozen state. "You know…" She leaned with her elbow on her brother's shoulder. "Aphrodite here saved my life."

"Than that makes her even more than just a beautiful young lady. It makes her Arendelle's brave hero."

Aphrodite swallowed nervously and stuttered, "I-I was just doing what is m-moral and right."

The Prince straightened his back and smiled widely, folding his hands behind his back, "And I know very well what moral means, Lady Aphrodite."

"Oh n-nonono! I'm… I'm no Lady, Your highness."

"Jamie." He corrected her. "Just Jamie."

"She also had to steal." Catherine _proudly_ blurted.

_OH MY GOD! _Aphrodite gasped. Her eyes grew huge and knew that she was totally doomed. She just wanted to dig her grave right where she stood and just burry herself in shame and embarrassment. She gave Catherine a shocked and a 'Seriously?!' look.

"Is that so?" Jamie asked as he raised one eyebrow at the now-scared young Aphrodite.

"I-I can explain! Please!" Aphrodite pleaded holding her hands up and taking a step back. _God damn it! Why did she do that!? I knew it! She was waiting for the right moment!_

"I'll do that for you!" Catherine announced happily as if everything was just casual and normal. She stood between Aphrodite and her brother, "Brother…" She started sadly, which just shocked Aphrodite. How could the princess flip from one mood to another just like that? She didn't know.

"Aphrodite here has a mother—Uh… well of course she has a mother, where would she come from anyway haha!" She rambled but quickly straightened her posture, cleared her throat and returned to her sad face. She sighed, "Aphrodite's mother is sick, Jamie." Catherine announced sadly, and turned to smile sympathetically at the frightened Aphrodite. "She only stole a simple loaf of bread so she can give her ill mother something to eat."

Aphrodite had tears in her eyes now. "Please… I just want my mother to be nourished!" She said sadly with a voice that quivered in desperation. "Our farm… I-It's just not enough at all to give us our needs." She said, wrapping her arms around herself and lowering her head. _You're going to be locked away! He will never let you go! You'll never see your mother again! _Aphrodite slightly gasped as she took in her own words that were said inside her mind, "Please, please!" She was begging now, "You _can't_ lock me away! I can't leave my mother alone! She has very short time! She'll die!" Tears started rushing down her face.

"I beg of you! I'll do anything! I'll try to find a way to repay the merchant! Please! Just don't force me to leave my mother like this! She will not survive!" Aphrodite started to sob. _Why did I do this?! WHY! I should have just worked as a—… No, no! I can never… I can never! What am I gonna do now?! _What came next shocked her. Her eyes went wide as she looked at herself being hugged by the princess.

"It's alright, Aphrodite… Really." Catherine said soothingly as she hugged the poor distressed young woman, a sympathetic and sad smile on her face. Catherine broke the hug and looked at Aphrodite's tear-stained face. "Don't worry… I won't let them lock you up like that just for a piece of bread."

Aphrodite sniffled and quickly brushed her tears away in shame, feeling pathetic. "R-Really?" Her voice came out like a whisper.

Catherine nodded and crossed her heart, before giving Aphrodite a wink.

The prince came in next. He approached the two with his stoic and blank face, and Aphrodite feared the worst. "Catherine… Let Captain Edward escort you back to the castle. Mother and Father are very worried." He turned to the captain and gave him a stiff nod.

The captain approached and waited for the princess to move.

Catherine sighed, "Alright, alright, fine." She said, defeated. She turned back at Aphrodite and gave her a smile. "Don't worry. Jamie will fix this and take care of it. You'll be fine. I promise."

Aphrodite sighed, wrapped her arms around herself and lowered her head as she allowed silent tears to fall.

Catherine gave Aphrodite one last reassuring hug before she turned to follow the captain, but not before she stopped next to her brother and mouthed 'Please.'

'Please' was more like... _Don't lock her up and keep her away from her mother for a piece of bread._

The prince kept his serious face and didn't look moved at all. But he nodded anyway.

Catherine sighed and followed the captain and guards.

Aphrodite's heart beat faster than a train on a railroad! She knew it. She was going to be punished for her crime. She just waited helplessly for the inevitable.

When everyone went out of view, Aphrodite and Jamie stood awkwardly in silence. One scared out of her… _dress_, and the other just watching.

The prince approached her and Aphrodite took in a sharp breath and waited.

Three… two… one.

"What did you say!?" Aphrodite asked in shock as she stared with wide eyes at the young prince. Was he even talking? Or she probably was too clouded with thoughts of doom that she went deaf.

"I said…" Jamie repeated gently, "That certain circumstances in a harsh and poor life can make us behave in a bad way and we make bad choices if we're mad, scared or stressed. What you did is wrong… but I _can_ turn a blind eye just this once. Especially since you didn't do it for yourself, but for your ailing mother."

Wow.

He smirked and winked, "Besides… My sister might have hit her head and for all I know she might be just imagining things." He pretended to be oblivious… obviously.

He found it funny. She found it… strange.

"You won't lock me away?" She asked in disbelieve with a voice barely a whisper.

The prince nodded. "Of course not!"

Aphrodite breathed out a laugh of relief, "Thank you! Thank you thank you so much! I don't know how to repay you!"

"Please… I don't need any payment." He smiled honestly, "What would people call me if I deprive the world from such Beauty?"

Aphrodite laughed. "Well thank you, your handsome highness." She curtsied playfully and they laughed together for a moment before Aphrodite remembered that she should scurry off to her mother to give her the food she needed. "I uh… I-I have to go now. Thank you very much for your help, Prince Jamie." She put her hood on and quickly turned to leave but The prince held her hand.

"No wait! Please…" He pleaded. "I… I want you to take this." He handed her a leather pouch that made clinking and jingle noises when it landed in her palm.

Aphrodite understood where the clinking sound was coming from and she realized what's inside. "No please! I can't take this! No way!" She refused the gold and tried to give him the pouch back.

The prince pushed the pouch back towards Aphrodite gently. "Please… I insist." He said with a sincere voice, "Besides, you saved the princess of Arendelle… Or more likely… My sister. And for that I am truly grateful. You don't always find Beauty and Courage in the same person."

"I…" Aphrodite was speechless, "I don't know what to say." This man was so kind, modest and… NICE. She once thought all royalty were spoiled brats and their lives were just perfect in every way. "This is too kind of you! I-It's too much. Please!"

"I already insisted. I will not take that back." He said again and crossed his arms.

Aphrodite was just speechless and… utterly happy! This was one of her best days of her life! Her mother finally had a chance of survival! The more this man did her kindness, the more her heart felt lighter.

"if I may ask…" Jamie suddenly started, stroking his chin, "Where do you live?"

Aphrodite felt a bit ashamed at the low-ranked state of her life. "W-We live in a shack, east of Arendelle next to the riverbank. It's a very small farm but it at least keeps us sheltered."

"A young lady like you doesn't deserve to live in the woods. She deserves a glamorous castle that would reflect her loveliness."

Aphrodite laughed a bit. "Thank you so much, Jamie… I know you'll be a great king one day."

Jamie smirked, "And a great king needs a great and beautiful queen." He teased yet Aphrodite only laughed and didn't actually get the hint.

"Your mother needs proper care. I will send a doctor your way, Lady Aphrodite." He said with a small bow.

Aphrodite shook her head in amusement and chuckled a bit since the prince was clearly stubborn and insisting on calling her a Lady. _If only there were more people like you… _"Why are you so kind?" She asked with a smile.

"Oh but do not be deceived!" He said playfully. "I might be an evil lurking BEAST!" He pretended to have claws and deepened his voice. "He me roar!"

Aphrodite laughed gleefully and shyly while the prince entertained her.

Beauty and The beast laughed with each other for a moment before the time finally came for them to part ways. The beast straightened his back and smiled widely. "We shall meet again, Aphrodite." He said and stared at her with those damn silvery eyes!

Aphrodite smiled fondly back, "We shall, Jamie…"

The beast bowed. Beauty curtsied. Each one of them turned and walked away, feeling their heart my burst out at any moment from excitement and happiness.

A thief today stole a loaf of bread. Beauty didn't know what lied in The Beast's head. Aphrodite had no idea what was ahead. For she just doomed her life with Dread. She accepted his hand and shared a bed. And she gave him her heart, when she should have fled.

* * *

**I'm sorry guys, I couldn't continue further… it's very tiring. I'm completely exhausted I can barely open my eyes. I hope at least I gave you enough to put smiles on your faces. :)**

**Writing is very tiring for me lately. But I'll try my best.**

**I can barely open my eyes so if you found some spelling mistakes or grammar… spare me the lecture.**

**I also drew a character appearance sheet for you guys so you can know what the characters look like in TIBB. The female characters at least (Elsa, Anna, Aphrodite, Rapunzel.) Just check it out on my deviantart Lany19.**

**I also drew the stages of Elsa from when she was little till she grew :)**

**And also Aphrodite at the window. :) All on my deviantart.**

**PS: I NEVER in my entire life drew digital arts or even colored them. So I think I'm a natural xD Maybe the hospital has an influence xD**

**Well… see you on the next chapter. :)**


	42. Do You Wanna Build A Snowman? - Part I

**Hello everyone, i'm finally back.**

**First i wanna say i'm so sorry for taking this long. Things around here has been pretty nasty and were like hell itself to me and i couldn't write or update at all. I lost A LOT of things in my life. You have no idea. BUT i also gained some things that hopefully will cover my loss.**

**Although i DID promise that i won't abandon the story didn't I? ;) And to quote Rapunzel: "And when i promise something, I never. Ever! Break that promise!" xD **

**I'm just happy today and in a pretty good mood. Blame mood swings!**

**And writing this story has been helping me a lot get through stuff. However from now on it's going to take SUCH a toll on me to write the story and i am not talking about physical fatigue or exhaustion. I've been hit by two flashbacks just to write this chapter.**

**BUT**

**I won't gave up!**

**I've been feeling better lately and my mama and I , along with two friends moved into a new house far away from trouble so yeah :) I'll be writing more often :) And hopefully my life will get better :)**

**Hey life?... PLEASE GET BETTER!**

**Life: Okidoki! :D**

**Anyway enough goofing around! xD Enjoy the chapter.**

**I had to split it in two since it was a very long one.**

**ENJOY!**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XXXVIV: Do You Wanna Build A Snowman? – Part I

Brandon frowned, "What was he like?"

Aphrodite thought for a moment and bit her lip. "He was…" She trailed off, feeling a bit nervous for some reason as her stomach felt as if it was tied in knots. She lowered her eyes and stared right on the ground, "Handsome… Smart… Intense…" She paused and lifted her eyes to stare right ahead, lost in a trance, "And completely intimidating."

"How did you…" He wanted to ask how she was able to fall in love with someone like King Jamie but he found himself unable to say it.

Aphrodite understood though. She shifted in her seat, wondering _how_ to answer and _why_ was Brandon suddenly so curious about her past life. "Well… He kind of… used to sneak out of the castle at night and just come to me. I would try and shoo him off but he was stubborn. So we used to spend the night together until-" Aphrodite winced, "We fell in love." She shivered at the thought since she very much despised his guts now. "Anna's eyes and his are so alike… They actually remind me so much of him." She said, referring to Anna's eyes.

Brandon furrowed his eyebrows, "And you hate—"

"No!" Aphrodite cut him off, staring at him in surprise. "God, no! I wouldn't hate my _daughter, _Anna for that at all! In fact she's the reason I can still manage to remember his eyes without having a stroke!" She explained and sighed. "She has his eyes. Yes… But not his _heart_. Hers is a kind heart of gold and she's not like him at all. She's very caring and loving to everyone. I know Elsa very well, Brandon. You don't need to teach me about my daughter." Aphrodite mistakenly said without even noticing that she switched the names. She rested her chin on top of her hands with her elbows on her knees.

Brandon noticed though. He smiled sympathetically at the oblivious mother, "You mean _Anna_… Right?"

"What?"

"You said 'Elsa'." He reminded.

"No I didn't. I said 'Anna'!" Aphrodite defended, still not believing.

Brandon shook his head at her with a sad smile, "She's been on your mind isn't she?"

Aphrodite's heart skipped a beat. She turned her head in surprise and stared at Brandon. She was about to keep arguing but the sincere, honest look on his face won this time. She opened her mouth to try and change the subject, but he gave her _The Look_, that he always had used whenever he knew she was about to lie to him or try to hide something from him.

Aphrodite closed her mouth and frowned at him. _Sometimes I really hate you for knowing me best._ She sighed in defeat and turned her head sadly away. "Yes…" She whispered, more to herself.

Brandon smiled proudly at his successful attempt to help her not to close off.

"Yes… Elsa and Anna _are_ very kind and caring." He paused for a moment, "Just like their mother." Brandon blurted before thinking while staring tenderly at the woman in front of him.

Aphrodite nearly choked on her own words as she was taken aback. She turned her head to stare at him with wide eyes of surprise. "U-Uh… Y-Yeah… Thank you… Brandon." Her cheeks had a small shade of red.

"Tomato." Brandon suddenly said and pointed at her cheek.

"What!?" Aphrodite asked in confusion, feeling nervous.

"Your cheeks!" Brandon said cheerfully, still pointing at her cheek, "Don't blame me. I learned that from your daughter. I heard Elsa say it to Anna and the others many times before."

Aphrodite glared at him playfully and slapped his hand away, making him laugh. "For all I know you're a tomato yourself!"

Brandon quickly stopped laughing, "N-No I'm not! What makes you s-say that?!" He nervously asked.

"Look at the mirror, Mister. Your face looks like you're about to explode." Aphrodite teased with a smirk as she lifted an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms.

Brandon stood and ran to stand in front of a mirror. He stared at his red face, only for it to become redder. _You're busted, buffalo!_

"Looks like our buffalo here has someone to his liking!" Aphrodite said teasingly as she stood off bed and walked to his side in front of the mirror. "Who's the lucky girl huh?!" She asked as she wiggled her eyebrows at him, being the totally oblivious Queen she was.

Brandon's eyes widened and he turned to face her, "What!? No! I don't l-like anyone! Come on! Me!? N-No! Who would even ever accept someone like me!?" He started laughing, trying to distract her…or himself from the awkward subject as he backed away from the mirror, "A-And besides…" He suddenly got an idea, "What about YOU!?" He shouted suddenly and pointed a finger right to her face making her jump back.

Aphrodite gasped, "Me!? No way! Are you kidding?! I'm pretty busy most of the time. I don't have time for-"

"Is it Henry the blacksmith?" He asked teasingly with a smirk as he advanced on her.

"What?! No!" She defended, backing away.

"Or Archie! The master archman!" He was coming closer.

"T-That's a very ironic name for his profession." Aphrodite said putting her hands up in defense and chuckled a bit while backing away, now noticing that her footsteps were getting clumsier.

"Or I know!" Brandon shouted and lifted a finger for having an idea. "What… about… TYLER!"

Aphrodite gasped in surprise and she suddenly stumbled backwards, falling down to the floor.

"Oh no!" Brandon ran to the rescue.

Before she could hit the ground, Brandon caught her, "I gotcha!" Brandon said happily but… "Who got me?!" He said before he stumbled on his own feet and—

"Brandon!" Aphrodite knew she was going not only hit the ground but be crushed by a big brute buffalo of a man.

"OOF!" They both fell to the ground with Brandon on top.

After a moment Brandon lifted himself a bit and shook his dizziness away. His eyes widened when he saw who was underneath him. "Oh boy! Are you okay!?" He asked, staring at her grimace, no noticing that he was still on top.

"Ughhh…" She groaned in dizziness. Aphrodite blinked and slowly opened her eyes.

"I-I'm really sorry!" He started stammering and talking fast, "I was just trying to catch you so you wouldn't g-get hurt but I was stupid and I kind of f-fell on you! Haha! Which uh… w-which didn't m-make your fall any better and—" His eyes widened in concern when he suddenly stared down at the woman underneath him who suddenly started laughing gleefully.

"Oh boy, we're a mess…" Aphrodite said as she laughed at herself and the situation she's in.

_Okay… She lost her mind! What did you do you crazy man!? You crushed her brains!_ Brandon thought as her stared down in concern at the poor squished Queen. His concern flew away when he noticed that she was really laughing gleefully.

Was that really Aphrodite? The Silenced Queen? The Stern Leanna? The Tough and Harsh Healer? He had never seen her laugh like this before ever since he knew her.

He knew he was supposed to be concerned but watching her laugh happily like that made his heart beat faster and he couldn't stop himself before he started laughing along. "W-Why are you laughing?" He asked as he chuckled along, not caring why as long as she was happy.

Aphrodite shrugged and giggled, "I don't know… It's just f-funny!"

The two laughed together, still not noticing that they were on top of each other.

The door suddenly. A man was walking forward, "Hey Brandon? Tyler was looking for you and he wanted to— Ohhhhhhhh boy! I think I pretty much interrupted something!" Aiden suddenly stood at the door awkwardly, staring down at the weird scene in front of him.

The two stopped laughing and stared at him with huge eyes.

Awkward silence.

Still awkward silence.

Yup.

Aiden pointed to the door with his thumb, "You know there's a lock right?"

"WHAT!?" Brandon and Aphrodite shouted in unison, their faces red. They quickly stood off clumsily and nervously backing away from each other and standing awkwardly, looking away from each other, not daring to meet each other's eyes. Brandon rubbing the back of his neck and Aphrodite looking around randomly while brushing her arm.

Aiden started backing away to the door to leave, "It's just that it looks like you two were in the middle of something…_Private_ and well haha—"

"**What!? Nonono! We j-just fell! **_And I was trying to catch her! _And I just wasn't looking where I was going and he fell on top of me and—" The two talked nervously and quickly at the same time that Aiden wasn't able to understand anything.

"No no! It's alright!" Aiden assured, trying not to laugh, reaching for the door handle, "I'll just go now and leave you two together to… _Continue_…" he made a shooing motion with his hand, "Carry on! Bye!" and he quickly disappeared behind the door and left.

The two got redder by hearing Aiden's burst of laughter from the other side of the door fading as the young man walked away.

They stood, staring at the door with wide eyes and a very red face. The two groaned in frustration and let their face fall in their hands, trying to hide it from embarrassment and the feeling of humiliation was just indescribable.

_She's going to kill me! _He thought "I'm sorry… That was…" Brandon started, feeling ashamed for embarrassing the Queen.

"Weird." Brandon said.

"Funny." Aphrodite covered.

Brandon's eyes widened behind his hands and he lifted his face to turn and stare at her, expecting to see a glare but only to witness a sincere soft smile.

"What?" He asked in disbelief.

Aphrodite shook her head in amusement and chuckled, "No really!" She said and walked over to her bed and sat. "It was pretty silly." She said and gave him a reassuring smile.

Brandon couldn't feel any happier. This woman was just perfect despite her anger issues and harshness. She was very kind, funny and sweet on the inside and obviously beautiful. He knew it very well. He understood what those old years with her husband did to her and he would never blame her. He actually admired her bravery and courage. "You're amazing you know that?" He asked before he could stop himself.

Aphrodite's eyes widened and her smile faded. She lowered her head with a sigh, feeling guilty by remembering that she wasn't THAT amazing._ What an _amazing_ mother I am… Leaving my own child behind._ She thought sadly.

Brandon knew what that sad sigh meant and the sudden change of behavior. She was closing off again so he knew what to do. He sat down next to her, "You know? You have a very funny laugh." He teased.

Aphrodite's gasped in surprise, "No, I. Do. Not!" She glared playfully, placing her hands on her hips.

Brandon glared playfully back and mimicked her posture by putting his own hands on his hips, "Yes. You. Do!" He playfully said, trying to change his voice into a more feminine one.

Aphrodite couldn't help but laugh and Brandon smiled proudly, his chest puffed, beaming with pride for hearing her laugh again. "Well at least you don't snore!" he added.

Aphrodite gasped and punched his chest playfully. Brandon lifted his hands up in defense as he chuckled.

Aphrodite chuckled a bit, shaking her head in amusement, "Well alright, wise guy, you won." She stood off bed and pulled him up with her from his hand, "Now it's getting late and I need to rest and so do _you_." She started pushing him forward, "Come on! Shoo shoo!" She stopped pushing him only to start waving her hands in a shooing motion to his face.

"Alright, alright!" Brandon said as he laughed, trying to block her waving hands from his face.

Just when he turned to leave, he bumped into someone, "Oh! I'm sorry i—"

"Tyler!" Aphrodite sneered, gritting her teeth. "What are you doing here!?"

Tyler stood at the door, staring at them with a cold poker face. "I think you're here in this fort only to do your job and not play around, am I right your majesty?" He said.

"Tyler don't start this—" Brandon was about to interfere but Tyler cut him off.

"I heard you've been missed at the infirmary lately. Have you been abandoning your duty, your Majesty?"

"Tyler stop…" Brandon warned.

"Is this freak daughter of yours distracting you from your job?"

"Tyler!" Brandon yelled to stop him.

Silence.

Tyler crossed his arms, "Hmph."

"Brandon?"

Brandon turned to Aphrodite's voice and stared at her blank face. He gulped, feeling her hand on his shoulder.

Aphrodite stared right at Tyler, "I think it's about time we put those new daggers of yours to good use."

* * *

_Arendelle. A mysterious kingdom. Everyone were always able to hear the screams of fear and pain, but no one had ever actually heard the high-pitched innocent laughter of excitement from those deep castle dungeons but their inhabitants… The Prisoners._

"_Princess… What the hell are you doing in there?!" Razor asked, wondering what were those sounds the little princess was emitting while she was laughing in glee._

_A nine year old little girl with platinum hair sat on the harsh ground of her cellar. She was wearing a ripped, messy and stained old blue dress that covered most of her tiny skinny frame. Her right shoulder and right side of her flat chest was totally bare since her dress in time had started to split apart and wither. _

_Elsa sat in a small pile of snow, giggling in excitement as she waved her hands around, playing with tiny, sparkling snowflakes. Her wrists were already cuffed but her innocent excitement got the best of her and she was enjoying every moment as she witnessed her beautiful tiny works of hovering snowflakes and a small soft snowfall descending on her. Her cyan eyes sparkled in anticipation and pure awe. And if someone was with her, they would have noticed how her irises actually shone with a pure bright cyan color. She always sneaked time to play with her powers. Especially when her papa was 'Busy with running the kingdom' in day time._

"_Are you ready, Anna?!" She whispered to the empty cellar, imagining herself playing with her 'deceased' sister and she was too happy and distracted that she didn't even hear Razor's question. "Do the magic, Elsa! Do the magic!" She whispered again excitedly to herself, trying to mimic her baby sister's voice._

"_Alright!... Hang on!" Elsa answered herself… or her imaginary sister, and got up on her feet eagerly but nearly stumbled back to the ground with those heavy chains around her wrists. She ignored it though and steadied herself. She stuck her tongue out to the corner of her mouth as she started conjuring a tiny snowball between her tiny fragile— with the last bit of baby fat— hands. "Ready?..." She asked the empty cellar again and received no real answer, but in her mind, she imagined hearing a 'Yeay, Elsa!'_

_Elsa giggled in glee again before she threw her hands up, letting go of the snowball as it went all the way to the ceiling and exploded, sending a new and soft beautiful snowfall to descend around the cellar._

_Elsa laughed and hopped… or tried to hop in excitement, trying to catch the snowflakes in her hands, even letting her tongue out to try and catch one with it and rattles of the chains accompanying her giggles._

_A snowflake landed on her tongue and she felt it's comforting chill, feeling the cold as the snowflake melted on her tongue. _

_She just loved the cold._

_Elsa stared at the snowfall with wide eyes of amazement as her heart beat faster in happiness. She suddenly gasped as an idea hit her._

"_Princess?! Are you okay!?" Worried Saja, one of the female prisoners asked._

_Elsa quickly turned and ran to her cellar door and knelt in front of the bottom bars so she could be able to say, "Oga!" She called with a whisper._

_Oga, the cranky old lady, ignored her and didn't give her an answer._

_Elsa frowned, and knew that Oga was always a grumpy o' woman. So she decided to change her_ partner. _"Saja!... Saja!" Elsa called with a whisper again._

_Saja quickly went to her cellar bars and tried to look at the princess but was barely able to see anything, though she answered anyway, "Princess are you alright?! Are you in pain again!?" She asked worriedly._

"_No no no! I'm okay!" Elsa lied anyway and was too busy and excited, thinking about her_ idea.

"_What's wrong?" Saja asked, concern in her voice._

_Elsa giggled a bit while placing her hands over her mouth, feeling her heart was about to burst out in eagerness. She leaned back down to the bars, took a deep breath, "Saja… Do you wanna build a snowman?"_

* * *

Elsa suddenly whimpered in her sleep, stirring a bit.

Anna, who was laying right next to her unknowingly big sister shot up in a sitting position and looked around for a bit, spooked, before she realized that the whimpering was coming from Elsa.

Anna's eyes grew wide with worry, "Elsa?... Elsa!" She moved her hand to shake her but quickly retreated it, remembering the touching issues. She quickly turned to look at a sleeping Rapunzel at the end of the room who was sleeping on a chair with her cheek on her hand and her elbow on the chair handle, drool coming out of her mouth.

"Rapunzel!" She called with a whisper.

No answer.

"Rapunzeeelll!" She called again quietly.

A snore then a mumble.

Anna frowned.

A pillow.

"Oof!"

Those things always work.

Rapunzel received a pillow right in her face, bolting her out of her sleep, nearly making her fall backwards with the chair. She looked around at first, not realizing who was her attacker.

"PSST! Hey!... Over here, doofus!" Anna called again, waving with her hand.

Rapunzel frowned. "Why did you do that!?" She asked, still a bit drowsy from sleep and not noticing Elsa's whimpering.

"It's Elsa!" Anna said with an utter concerned look on her face before she turned to the pale blonde next to her, "Something is wrong!"

Rapunzel quickly ran to the sisters' side. She exchanged a worried look with Anna, not knowing what's really going on with Elsa or how to sooth her panicking young sister.

* * *

"_Uh… A-A snowman?... Princess?" Saja asked, confused, wondering what the princess was talking about and how the hell she could even build a snow man deep underground in the dungeons where there was no sign of nature life, yet alone some snow._

"_Yes!" Elsa replied happily and nodded her head._

"_Uhm…" Saja scratched her head and exchanged weird and confused looks with the other prisoners who gave her a shrug. "I-I think I'll pass, Princess." _

_Elsa frowned. "How about you, Razor?!" She asked happily again._

_Razor was lying lazily on the ground and was falling asleep, "I prefer sleeping my pain off, Little Lady."_

_Elsa pouted angrily, "Does anyone wanna build a snowman with me?" She asked happily again._

_Silence. A bit of awkward coughing. _

_Elsa's shoulders slumped, "Fine… I'll build a snowman myself." She said childishly with an angry pout._

_She suddenly smiled again and turned to go back to the middle of the cellar, but before she could get up. "Oh!" She quickly turned to the door and knelt again, "Hey Razor?..." She called._

"_Yeah, Little Lady?" He replied lazily, his arm over his eyes._

"_What's a razor?" Elsa asked in curiosity._

"_It's a type of knife, Princess." Razor replied… as always, whenever Elsa had asked a question like this, since she'd been doing this for years now._

"_Why did your Papa and Mama call you Razor, Razor?" Elsa asked again with her innocent voice._

_Razor sighed._ God help me. _"Why did your parents call you Elsa, Little Lady?"_

_Elsa thought for a moment… "Fair enough." She said before she turned to the pile of snow she conjured earlier so she could start building her snowman._

_She ran to it but stumbled from the chains and fell to the ground, yet she kept laughing as if nothing had happened, got back up on her feet quickly and continued her way excitedly towards the snow. _

_She started building her snowman while having a radiant smile on her face._

"_Hey Razor?" Elsa called again, trying to form a big ball with the pile of snow around, using her bare hands instead of her powers._

_Razor gave up. _She isn't going to let me sleep. _He sighed heavily and sat up then leaned his back on the wall as he rubbed the pain from the back of his neck. "Yes?..." A deep tired sigh then, "Princess?"_

_Saja shook her head in amusement as she snickered at the poor man who was being tormented by a tiny little girl. The others doing the same._

"_What's a shit-head?" Elsa suddenly blurted, still focusing on her snowman._

_Everyone's eyes widened. "Princess, where did you hear that?!" Saja asked skeptically._

"_I always hear Razor calling Mad that." Elsa replied, oblivious to the very bad meaning of the word._

_Saja turned her head at Razor and gave him a scolding glare and Razor mouthed a 'What!?' with a shrug but Saja rolled her eyes. _

"_Aren't ye going t' answer that, ye big moose?" Oga called as she laughed mockingly at him._

_Razor scratched his beard nervously, "Uhh…" He swallowed, thinking about how to explain it to the little girl. "It's just a type of deer, Little Lady." He lied, trying to save himself._

_Some of the prisoners stifled a laugh and some shook their head in amusement, while Saja facepalmed and Oga burst out in loud laughter._

_Elsa stopped for a moment and turned her head to the cellar door as if addressing Razor. "What's a deer?" _

_Oh god! She won't stop! Razor thought. "It's a horse with two wooden sticks stuck to his head." He answered quickly, sending even more fits of laughter around the prisoners._

_Elsa gasped in awe and stared off into space, trying to wonder what a 'shit-head'… or a horse with two wooden sticks would have looked like. "Waw…" She said in amazement. _

_Elsa then quickly went back on building a snowman. When she finished, "Olaf!" She called out for everyone to hear and hugged the snowman. She gasped, "No wait!" She quickly let go of the snowman and looked around quickly, "You need eyes and buttons!" _

_Elsa turned and started looking around. She found some rocks scattered around the ground from the ritual that Mad had used, claiming that he would remove her powers. She flinched a bit at the sight of them, remembering how painful this useless ritual was. She gulped nervously before she slowly approached the rocks. She looked around awkwardly, feeling a bit scared before she quickly gathered as much rocks and tiny stones as she could and scurried back to Olaf's side, giggling excitedly at her success and making sure that she wouldn't stumble again with the chains. _

_She spread the rocks in front of her and knelt in front of Olaf. "Let's see…." She said and tapped her finger on her chin while sticking her tongue out at the corner of her mouth. "Eyes…" She grabbed two stones and placed them on Olaf's face, "Buttons…" She grabbed three small rocks and placed them one under the other on Olaf's chest. She then drew a smile on Olaf's face using tiny stones._

"_And... A nose!" She looked around with a radiant smile trying to find an actual carrot, forgetting that she was actually in a cellar and not out in the open snow, playing around with her sister. Elsa's smile faded and turned into a disappointed and sad one when the realization came. She turned back at the_ Half Olaf_ and smiled apologetically at him. _

_She placed a hand on his cold cheek. "Well, Olaf… Looks like you'll have to wait a little more before you can get your nose." She leaned forward and hugged the snowman to comfort him. "I promise, Olaf… When Papa fix me and allow me to leave here, I'll give you a nose." She broke the hug and smiled widely at the snowman, "The biggest nose ever!" She said cheerfully, spreading her arms apart to show how big the nose she would give him would be. She hugged the snowman in a tight hug again and whispered, "I love you, Olaf… You're my best friend."_

_When she received nothing but silence from the snowman, her smile faded and she slowly lowered her arms back to her side, sending sounds of rattling chains as she did. She turned her back to Olaf, brought her legs to her chest and rested her chin on top, wrapping her arms around them. "Razor?... What's a cuff?"_

_Razor's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "Uhm… A cuff?... It's uh…"_ Around your wrists._ He didn't dare say and only thought about it._

"_Papa loves me!... He said he's going to give me new cuffs for my birthday!" Elsa said happily, staring right at the door as If she was addressing Razor._

_The prisoners felt remorseful and utterly sad for the poor oblivious little girl._

God… _Saja thought as she shook her head sadly and rested her forehead on the bars._

_Razor didn't know how to answer. He rubbed his temples and sighed, "Just… How about we keep it a… s-surprise, Little Lady." He succeeded in avoiding to answer. "Wouldn't that be better?" He tried to keep his shaking voice happy and cheerful for the poor girl, struggling to fight off a big sorrowful lump in his throat. _

"_Okay!" Elsa answered happily, feeling eager to know what her_ present _was._

_Cruelty. Injustice. Wrong. He knew what all those were. But this was beyond cruel or unfair. He may have been a criminal, who had killed and stole, but this proportion of cruelty and inhumanity drove him to his very edge. A few tears fell and he quickly brushed them angrily away._

_Saja noticed him, "You don't need to hide it you know… We all already gave off our share of tears about this… You're not the only one."_

_Razor rolled his eyes and turned his back to her and leaned back to the bars, trying to ignore Saja's words._

"_Razor?..." Elsa called again… Wondering._

"_Y-Yes?... Princess?" Razor replied._

"_What's a whore?" Elsa suddenly blurted, looking down at her tiny, dirt covered toes._

_Everyone's eyes widened and they all exchanged worried and confused looks._

"_Why would you even wanna _know _that, Elsa?" Razor asked worriedly, actually using her real name this time._

_Elsa bit her lip. "Papa… He calls me that all the time." A pause. "What does it mean?"_

_Razor couldn't hold it anymore. He accidently let out a sob of despair and quickly closed his mouth._

_Elsa heard the sounds of sorrow. Her eyes widened a bit and she quickly scurried to the door and knelt to the bars below. "Razor!? Are you okay?"_

_And that only made him sob more. An innocent little girl, who was called with such horrible things but her name, who was treated like a savage beast, was asking him in concern if he was alright… If_ HE_, a criminal, was okay._

"_The big moose just isn't feelin' well, sweethear'." Oga finally and surprisingly soothingly said… The very cold and rude Oga._

"_Did I say something wrong?" Elsa asked, feeling a bit guilty._

"_No no, not at all, Princess!" Saja assured her. _

"_So… Is whore a good thing?!" Elsa asked happily, "Should I call myself—"_

"_No, princess! You shouldn't call yourself that at all and you are NOT a… w-whore." Razor finally shouted._

_Elsa cowered a bit behind the door._

_Silence covered the room like bed sheets._

_Razor realized how harsh his voice was. He sighed regretfully and remorsefully. "You shouldn't call yourself that, Little Lady… It's a bad thing… a_ very _bad thing that _you_ aren't at all."_

_Elsa's shoulder slumped and she slowly lowered her head, "Oh…" More shame. More indignity._

_Razor opened his mouth to speak and comfort the distressed princess before the dungeon door suddenly opened._

_Chaos of stress, fear and panic erupted inside every living being in the dungeon and mostly of a small pale blonde living being._

_Elsa's eyes widened and she quickly turned and ran to try and get rid of Olaf before her father could see that she used her powers. _No no no!_ Her breath quickened as her heart beat faster. She lifted her tiny hands to try and see if she could thaw the snowman, but in her panic, the snow only doubled around her and ice started to form on the walls_. NO NO! Go away! Go away! Come on!... Come on! _With trembling hands,_ _she begged the snowman and the ice to simply melt and vanish but nothing worked, and her fear and panic grew. Horrific sounds of cracking ice grew._

"_It's those damn sounds again!"_ _Razor whispered._

"_And the c-cold!" Another prisoner whispered in reply, hugging himself for warmth._

"_It's because his heart is as cold as ice." Saja calmly said, referring to the king._

_The door opened. The mighty king of Arendelle appeared, followed by the clumsy Mad. They walked towards their favorite door: Elsa's cellar door. Their footsteps sending Elsa shivers._

_She tried and tried and tried, but the ice only grew and thickened. Tears started coming down her cheeks, just imagining what was going to happen to her when her Papa would find out. But she wasn't going to give up now. The Devil was still five meters away._

_As they passed, the king calmly and elegantly while Mad clumsily and unsteadily, Razor grabbed hold of Mad and pulled him to the bars, wrapping an arm around Mad's throat, "Release her!... NOW!" Razor yelled right to the king who simply stopped, calmly turned around, his hands still folded neatly behind his back, his face betraying any sigh of fear or worry._

"_Or what, Sir?" King Jamie asked with a calm smile._

_Razor started choking Mad by squeezing his arm harder around the old man's throat. "Or I'll crush that rat's bones right here, right now and make you watch as his eyes explode… Wouldn't that be nice, your Majesty?" Razor asked with a smirk while Mad flailed his hands and legs trying to get out of the angry Razor's grip._

_The king smile fell. He stared at the scene in front of him, up and down, still his in his straight and graceful posture. _

_Razor stared right into the demon's silvery eyes and squeezed Mad's throat more to show that he wasn't joking about the matter at all._

_The king suddenly burst out laughing loudly._

_Razor's grip slackened a bit in his shock. _What the…?

"_Y-You think he's the only necromancer around these parts?!" Jamie asked mockingly in disbelief. "If you kill him, you're doing me a favor. I would bring a better necromancer than this old rat here." Jamie said with a smirk as he crossed his arms._

_Razor tried to glare as much as he could and stay strong. _

"_On second thought…" Jamie started mockingly, "You can kill him. I need a new necromancer to help me get rid of… that _beast's _ferocity in there." He said with a disgusted look and rolled his eyes._

_Razor's breath shook before he finally let go of Mad, who collapsed to the floor choking and wheezing for air._

_The King's smile grew, knowing he was successful. "Come now, Mad… We have work to do. As for you…" The king looked over at Razor._

"_You will receive your own punishment for trying to teach me how to raise my own daughter—"_

"_What!?"_

"_And I WILL teach that monster a lesson for making a plan of escape with you!" Jamie said and turned to stomp his way to Elsa's cellar._

"_NO! This is unfair! You are delusional! You're a damn demon! Leave her alone! Do you hear me!? If you dare touch her I'll kill you!... KILL YOU!"_

_But the king of Arendelle was deaf._

_Suddenly Razor realized that he created a chaos for the little princess. He didn't just intimidate the king and made trouble, but he also involved her in it by commanding his own king to set her free. What happens when a _prisoner_ tries to take over a monarch's authority?_

Anger and Disgrace.

* * *

I'll post Part II tomorrow :) It will continue right off from here... I just got tired and i have chills and a fever...i have a Frozen Fever! xD

if you found any spelling mistakes or whatever... spare me the lecture. Having a stroke from stress is no fun and i forgot most of my life and most of the basic things. One of my friends who are living with me now helped me as much as she could with correcting things...you do NOT want to read this chapter before the proofreading. xD I'm off to write the next chapter since all i can do is sit in bed and stuff my face with strawberry covered in chocolate. I even tried broccoli covered in chocolate and NO! Never try that! Yuck! Don't ask me why i even tried it! xD

!HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Lany


	43. Do You Wanna Build A Snowman? - Part II

The Ice Behind bars

Chapter XXXVI: Do You Wanna Build a Snowman? – Part II

Anna was trying not to panic watching her new friend suffer in her sleep. Feeling just helpless. She felt a soft touch on her shoulder and she turned to see Rapunzel smiling at her reassuringly.

"She'll be okay." Rapunzel assured, trying to comfort her but knowing deep down in her heart that she was lying.

The two quickly turned when they heard Elsa whimper again loudly and her breath quickening in her sleep, "Please…"

* * *

"_Please…" Elsa had lost hope. There was no way she was going to get away with what she did. Olaf was still very much intact and above all this, the room was now covered in more ice. She had only one thing to do: Hide behind the snowman Olaf._

_The door of her cellar opened and her heart skipped a beat. She swallowed hard and felt her dry throat burn. It was as if she just swallowed a cup of nails. Nevertheless, she hugged herself, closed her eyes and knew that there would be consequences. _

_When she heard her father's gasp she knew she was doomed._

_The king just stood there and stared with wide eyes at the sight in front of him. Ice covered the entire room and a single "fresh" snowman with no nose stood in the middle of the room with a smile made out of tiny stones._

_He felt completely mocked._

_That snowman's smile was mocking him. Teasing him. He sneered and looked over to see a platinum head of a trembling little _beast_, claiming protection behind that damn snowman. The king clenched his fists, "Elsa…?" His voice sent a twister of dread in the little _beast_'s head._

_Elsa's eyes widened when she heard his intimidating voice that was filled with SUCH anger… and violence._

_Her lip trembled and she slowly turned her head to look at her papa. "Y-Yes?... Papa?" She asked, trying to act as if nothing was wrong._

_The king straightened his back, lifted a finger and pointed in between him and the snowman, right in front of his foot. "Come here." _

"_P-Papa—"_

"_Come HERE!"_

_Elsa shivered under his loud and majestic voice that echoed terrors in the dungeon. She tried to stay strong and held back her tears. She swallowed and shakily stood on her feet, before she shyly got out of her hiding spot and nervously approached to where her father was pointing. When she reached her destination, she froze in her place, her head down, her hands behind her back and her eyes on her father's face— although she kept trying to avoid eye contact._

"_Now… Explain to me what this is?" The king asked, trying to hold himself together._

"_I… I-I—"_

"_Speak!"_

_Elsa flinched while wincing at his voice and swallowed again. "I-I just wanted… to play, P-Papa."_

"_Play!?" He chuckled mockingly, "Did I put you here to PLAY!? Does this cellar seem like a playground for you? A park?!" He asked before he suddenly burst out laughing maniacally. He turned at the door and called out, addressing the prisoners, "How about I bring you some toys and dollies! Or-or maybe some tea?! What about—" He couldn't finish his sentence before he continued laughing aloud._

_Some of the prisoners around the dungeon cursed under their breath and swore at the king, and others rolled their eyes or even winced._

_The little beast however got excited and believed the lie, too young and innocent to understand the king's intentions. "Really?!" She asked excitedly, "Papa they'll be so happy! They are all bored here! I even tried to tell them to come play with me but they were shy—"_

"_Quiet!" The king yelled._

_Elsa recoiled under his voice as her excitement turned to shock and confusion._

* * *

Elsa yelped and cowered in bed with Anna and Rapunzel helplessly watching.

* * *

_The king's eyes twitched as he heard his daughter's excited and happy voice. "Are you… MOCKING me!?" He asked with a sneer._

"_W-What?!" Elsa asked in confusion._

"_Are you making fun of me?!" He asked again._

_Elsa, confused, shook her head uncertain of what was going on anymore. Her papa was happy not a few minutes ago! What happened to him? Why was he suddenly angry?_

_The king stood tall in front of his daughter, "Why did you build that THING with your filth?!"_

_Elsa for a moment didn't understand, but it dawned on her when the king pointed behind her and she knew on whom he was talking about._

"_I…I…" Her fear was just so great that she couldn't form her words, worrying about what would happen to her, "I just wanted a friend papa…" Elsa shyly said._

"_A _friend_!?" The king said with the most sarcastic smile, "You!?" He asked with a mocking tone while pointing at her. "Ha! You can't make friends, sweetheart! You're a monster!"_

_Elsa silently gasped, actually taken aback by such a discouragement. Her heart ripped apart. His voice even though was Happy, hurt her more than the beating he gave her. But she wasn't going to give up yet._

"_B-But Olaf was happy!" She defended happily, "He told me he loved me just like I love him, Papa!... Look!" She ran to the snowman enthusiastically, eager to show her father and prove that a pile of snow loved her. And what was her proof?_

_She hugged Olaf and showed her papa that the snowman didn't push her away like _he_ always did._

_She broke the hug and turned to face her papa, "See?!" She turned back to look at the snowman, " Olaf love warm hugs! He's my friend!" She patted his head gently. Her eyes widened a bit when she got an idea. "Papa!" She called eagerly, just wanting to tell her Papa of her new idea, hoping that he would be proud of her. "You want a friend too!"_

_The King was taken aback, "What?!"_

"_I can make an Olaf for you!"_

"_No!"_

"_Just watch, Papa!" Elsa started readying her powers. Cyan Flurries started to come out of her fingertips, "You'll love him, Papa! You'll be happy!" She knew it. Finally something to make her Papa proud and he might finally see her as his daughter and not as a beast to be scared of. She wanted to show him that she COULD be a good girl._

_Watching the ball of snow hovering between her hands grow with horrified eyes, he yelled, "Stop!"_

_But Elsa was too cut on making her Papa the friend she thought he always wanted. This was her chance to prove that she could be more than a monster and she wasn't going to waste it. She might finally be allowed to leave this horrible place._

_The king ran at her and grabbed her wrists, "Stop this, right now!"_

_The moment she felt his harsh hands around her wrists, Elsa felt the wave of terror overwhelm her. She shook her head, "No, Papa! Stop!... You're hurting me!"_

"_Never use your wretched curse! Do you hear me?!" He shook her violently from her wrists, "Never!"_

_Elsa felt her powers go out of control, as the once soft perfect ball of snow started deforming into a warped shape, accompanied with shards of tiny spikes coating it. "Papa!" She warned worriedly._

_The power in that snowball grew and grew until it became so strong that it started to emit a weird disturbing sound getting higher in volume, pitch and frequency._

_The king noticed how the weird shaped snowball in between them started to grow and glow stronger and stronger, illuminating the entire room, giving the walls and the royals' skin a blue hue._

"_Elsaaa!" He shrieked in rage and Elsa only screamed in fear, knowing that she couldn't do anything anymore to stop this strange growing, dangerous ball of ice and snow._

_The light emanating from the ball was so bright that both of them had to shut their eyes to prevent the burning and piercing pain._

_The king had no choice. He looked around one last time with squinted eyes to realize that the entire cellar was covered in a thick layer of ice, that he couldn't even locate the door anymore. He knew if he didn't let go, he was going to be a big popsicle. He quickly shoved her to the ground and cowered, "No, please! I want to live!" Hoping that this ball of tremendous ice power wouldn't hit him, or worse, kill him._

_Elsa hit the ground with a disturbing thud, and the ball got released and shot from her hands._

_The ball of power started flying maniacally in the cellar, hitting the iced ceiling then reflecting back to the ice-covered ground and back to the right wall with an incredible speed, only reflecting on Elsa's ice but destroying everything else that it touched._

_The king fell to his knees and dodged the ball that was now flying crazily in random angles, going back and forth. Up and down and right and left!_

_Elsa watched in horror yet in amazement. Her eyes followed the ball of power everywhere until it headed straight to the thick barred window, smashing the strong metal bars as if they were fragile sticks and shooting out towards the peaceful town of Arendelle and…_

"_WHAT IS THAT!?" A citizen screamed._

_KA-BOOM!_

_The ball hit a huge pine tree in the middle of town, smashing and colliding with the tree's strong and thick trunk. At the impact, despite how solid the trunk was, it easily broke from the big explosion of ice that emitted cries and screams of fear and shock from the entire kingdom. Echoes of the mixed sounds spread around a wide range into the valley and mountains._

"_Everyone! Move away!"_

_The citizens quickly started to scatter around for their lives and hid their children when the now-entirely frozen pine tree started to sway. Not knowing where the tree would land, the citizens ran as far as they could, trying to avoid being squished by the iced tree._

_The enormous and tall tree finally swayed to the left and collapsed with a loud violent thud on a shack, shattering it into bits and pieces of wood, and sending a big wave of dirt, dust and even snow all over the town square._

_After a moment of silence as the sounds slowly faded, the cowering people got out of their hiding place to watch and stare at the chaotic sight in front of them._

"_It's The Snow Queen!" A woman suddenly screamed._

"_It's a warning!" A man shouted, holding his two children close to him protectively._

"_She's coming to kill us! Run for your lives!"_

_Cries of fear, discussions and arguments started to be heard around the kingdom as a crowd formed around the chaos._

_Although the entire kingdom was loud, the cellar in the dungeons of the castle was dead silent._

_That _Silence_. It covered the entire cellar. The poor paralyzed Elsa could only stare bug-eyed in shock at the window where she _thought was once _her chance of freedom and happiness went through… but it was actually where her big mistake flew out from a moment ago. All what she could hear was her trembling breath and her pounding heart. She did not even dare to turn to see her father's face._

"_You could have killed me…" The king whispered, trying to comprehend what just happened and shakily getting back up on his feet._

_Elsa swallowed hard. She finally felt the courage to turn and look at his pale horrified face. "P-Papa… I'm sorry! I didn't mean t—"_

_The King didn't wait for another second. His rage took the better of him and he could no longer control his anger. "You…!" He suddenly drew his sword and charged with his full speed at her. "Abomination!"_

_Elsa gasped yet she didn't have time to comprehend what was about to happen before she found herself pinned by her throat to the ground._

"_Trying to kill your own KING!?" The king above her yelled, "I'll kill you!" But what he didn't realize was that he was already choking her to death._

"_Pa… P-Papa…!" She managed to choke out, scratching at his arm and flailing._

_The king, with eyes full of hate and revenge, lifted his sword with his adrenalized hand as his flaring crazy eyes bore into her soul._

_Elsa closed her eyes and waited for the big agonizing pain to come. She gritted her teeth hearing the sword coming down to take her life._

"_Now you DIIIEE!"_

I'm coming, Anna… Mama… I'm coming… _She hoped and _wished_ even though her hands were trying so hard to remove her father's hand off her throat. _I'm coming…

_But the sword never touched her and her wishes were never granted. Elsa waited for something… Anything. Pain? Blood?... Nothing but hearing her father's panting. She slowly opened one eye and gasped seeing the very tip of the sword right above her forehead. The sword was so close it was just unbelievable._

_With his hand still choking her, the king wanted to just end this abomination where he stood, but as he had been lowering his sword to kill her, he had quickly stopped and his hand had frozen as an idea had came to his mind. His sneer slowly broke as his eyes slowly widened. _

"_No…" He said as his smirk was back, slowly lowering his sword away from her now-red face and feeling proud by seeing her failing struggles to stop him from choking her. "No, I have a better idea…" He leaned forward and brought her head closer so he could whisper in her ear, "If I just kill you… I won't be able to punish you for your sins and crimes." He chuckled a bit, sending shivers down her spine as his hot breath touched her ear. "I can't just grant you a merciful kill."_

_He let go of her throat and she came down hitting the ground, gasping for air and coughing, trying her best not to pass out. Her sweaty face slowly regained its pale color._

_The king stood tall again above her, holding his sword with his right hand. "Hmph…" he huffed proudly, staring down at her pathetic form. He turned and approached the snowman that was amazingly still undamaged. "As for your friend…" He readied his sword._

_Elsa's eyes widened and she knew what he was about to do. She tried as hard as she could to stand, "N-No… Please… Papa! H-He's my only friend!"_

"_That's your first punishment." He said, smiling, before he lifted his feet and started kicking and smashing at the snowman, destroying the child's hope, dream and spirit._

"_NO!" Elsa quickly stood up, using all what's left of her strength. She ran at him and desperately started trying to pull him away. To push him… even hit him! Anything to just stop him from hurting her only friend! But he barely even felt her poor, fragile and pitiful punches. _

"_Stop it! Please! You're hurting him!" She cried and pleaded as she pulled at his leg._

_But the king only took pleasure from her begging and kept smashing and kicking the snowman with a big smile on his face._

_With every kick Elsa literally felt a stab through her heart, sending more tears down her face. She desperately kept trying to stop him, but it was just hopeless. All her efforts were in vain, and she knew it._

_The king finally stopped only when he made sure that what once had been a pure white snowman, was now a pile of dirty snow._

_The little beast fell down to her knees, feeling the weight of the world over her heart. She started to sob and cry as the king stood panting and smiling in triumph at his achievement._

"_There…" He breathed, "He looks better that way, don't you think?" He deadpanned as he stared down at the broken soul of the little child._

_Elsa kept trying to brush away her tears but they only kept rushing down her cheeks._

_The king knelt to her eye level and forced her to lift her chin up with his index. "Remember…" he said, staring right at her dull eyes, "Monsters don't have friends. Do you hear me?" He asked, still panting._

_Elsa only let out a sob and tried not to look at the devil's eyes._

_She whimpered and yelped however when the king squeezed her chin. "What's that again?" He asked mockingly. "I said do you hear me?"_

_Elsa quickly swallowed a sob, not daring to let it out anymore, so she nodded._

"_I can't hear you…" He warned._

"_M-Monsters…" A sniffle. "D-Don't have friends." She recited, feeling completely defeated and heartbroken. All what she wanted to do now was to huddle herself up in the corner and cry._

"_And you are…?" He beckoned her to continue._

"_Monster." She said and rubbed her teary left eye with her hand._

_He smiled. "Good girl." He let go of her chin, leaned forward, and kissed her forehead._

_Strangely, she felt a tiny bit comforted._

_He then stood up again, fixed his hair and clothes, "So tell me, Elsa…" He leaned down with his hands on his knees, staring right into her eyes. "Do you wanna build a snowman?"_

_Elsa's lip quivered and she tried with all her might not to start wailing and grieving over the thought of her deceased ittle sister and her now dead Olaf. Building a snowman was the only thing left in her mind that reminded her of how much fun she once had with her sister, Anna, and most importantly, was the only thing that reminded her of how much she loved her. _

_A heart ache. "No." She said with a crushed spirit and a cold voice. "I will never ever build a snowman."_

_The king was surprised. Even the tone of her voice changed._

_On that day, Elsa vowed that she would never play with her powers again and she would never ever have a friend._

* * *

Cyan eyes shot wide open, staring into nothingness…

"Elsa…?" Anna called, staring worriedly with Rapunzel at the pale blonde who was lying completely still. "Elsa..!?"

But Elsa didn't reply.

* * *

Three men sat around the fire, feeling completely cold. Two were sharpening their weapons and the other was drinking the cold away.

"I am telling ya…" The first of the two men who were sharpening their weapons started, "We are going to find that witch."

"That's a vow." The one drinking said then hiccupped, "After killing Bill and the other two boys… Freezing them like ice cubes! I will not let that witch get away with it."

"Diana's body was nowhere to be found…" The second man finished sharpening his weapon and leaned it aside.

"That white witch might have kidnapped her." The drunk man said.

"Or ate her." The first said, sending chills down everyone's spine, nearly chocking the one drinking.

"Aye… Who knows what happened to her." The second rubbed his hands for warmth.

"That woman holds a big grudge for someone." The drunk reminded.

"Oh yes… She's a widow. What do you expect? Her husband Robin was killed."

"I could have helped her get rid of that title if she wanted!" The drunk laughed, "But she's a useless corpse now."

"Have some respect for the dead, you idiot!" The first man warned.

"You…" He hiccupped and readied himself to fight his opponent, "Can't tell me…What to d—"

"Shhh!" The second man silenced them, looking around them cautiously.

"What is it?"

"Do you hear that?" He asked.

A twig snapped.

"Oh I hear It alright!" The drunk stood clumsily and drew his weapon, pointing it to the bushes in front of him. "Come out whoever you are! Don't make me k—"

"You don't need to be frightened, gentlemen." A hooded woman suddenly appeared from behind the bushes.

"Reveal your identity!" The drunk said.

"It's me you idiot!" The woman removed the hood to reveal her blond hair and blue eyes.

"Diana!" The men shouted in relief.

"You're alive!" The first shouted in relief while approaching her, "Everyone! Diana's back!" He announced for the entire camp, waking everyone from their sleep.

Others came out of their tents, men and women, approaching Diana and greeting her and others asking questions in concern.

"Boy! We were so worried!"

_I was safe…_ Diana thought.

"What happened?! Where were you?" They all noticed her sad face.

"What's wrong?"

"Did the snow queen hurt you!?"

_No…_ Diana thought.

"She killed Bill and the other two!"

_They tried to take advantage of her… _She thought again, feeling even guiltier.

"Speak, Diana!"

Diana, with her head low, took a deep breathe through her nose and shut her eyes. _I'm sorry, Aphrodite._ After a moment, with everyone waiting impatiently, Diana lifted her head and stared at them, "I… I know."

"You know what, Diana?" A woman asked softly in concern.

Diana finally took a decision. She thought for a moment, "Well…" _I will avenge my husband._

A Smile. "I know where The Snow Queen is."

* * *

**Well guys make sure you read the previous chapter because two days ago when I posted it, the site had problems and the chapter kept appearing for some people but disappearing for others and they were receiving something like "Chapter was not found. Error type 1" or something but the glitch is fixed now. The previous chapter should be Part I, okay? **

**This one here is part two.**

**As for the people who couldn't review and it keeps saying that you already did, it's because I changed the chapter order. But from now on you can review normally.**

**Next Chapter: Welcome Back**

**Till next time**

**Lany**


	44. Welcome Back

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XLV: Welcome Back

"Those were my favorite knives."

"Well, that's great. I at least put them to good use."

"You could have killed him."

"I wish I did."

Brandon gulped, "O-Okay… haha… How about we just… drink our tea." No need to argue with Aphrodite. Especially not in her _Mama Bear_ mode.

Aphrodite nodded. "I think that's an excellent ide—"

BAM!

"What the—"

"Aphrodite! Brandon! Elsa's awake! You have to come fast!" Rapunzel exclaimed.

Aphrodite nearly fell out of her chair and choked on her tea when Rapunzel burst inside the room, nearly breaking the door. "Don't you know how to KNOCK!?" Aphrodite shouted, still completely surprised.

"There's no time for knocking!" Rapunzel quickly grabbed Aphrodite by her wrist and started practically dragging her behind her. "Hurry!"

"Alright, alright!"

"But I haven't finished my tea!" Brandon whined.

The two women stopped in their tracks and turned to look at Brandon who was still sitting in his chair and sipping his tea.

Brandon gulped again. He knew he did a mistake. _Oh no…_

Rapunzel and Aphrodite stared blankly at Brandon in an awkward silence.

"What?" He asked nervously.

Rapunzel and Aphrodite exchanged blank looks and all Brandon could do was hope he'd come out of this alive.

"Me left. You right." Aphrodite announced, pointing at herself then at Rapunzel.

"Got it." Rapunzel nodded.

"Wait what!" Brandon didn't have time to argue before he found himself being dragged by his legs with Aphrodite holding his left and Rapunzel his right. "Oh come on!" He felt embarrassed watching the other thieves give the trio a weird look as they passed by. "It will be way faster if I can run!"

"No time to wait for you to stand!" Aphrodite said.

"Exactly!" Rapunzel agreed.

"Then why didn't you just tell me to follow!?"

* * *

"Uhm… E-Elsa?" Anna nervously called, watching the frozen and bug-eyed state of the pale blonde who lied there staring at the ceiling with a blank face.

_What's wrong with her!? _Anna thought in concern.

Anna reached down to touch Elsa's arm and gave her a tiny gentle shake. "Elsa…!?" But unfortunately the princess only kept staring into nowhere without a single reaction.

Anna Sighed and lowered her head, slumping down in her seat. _What's wrong Elsa?_ She bit her lip trying to hold back the tears that were forming at the corner of her eyes. _Please… just say something._

But Elsa only stared up like a corpse.

A knock brought her out of her thoughts. "Who is it?" She called.

"It's Aiden and Flynn." Aiden's muffled voice replied.

Anna sighed, "Come in, guys." She allowed with a sad voice.

The door creaked open. Two heads poked out from behind the door with Aiden's above Flynn's. "Hey." They said.

Anna smiled sadly, "Hey…"

"How is she?" Aiden asked as he approached along Flynn.

Anna's smile fell and she turned back to stare at the motionless Elsa. "Not good."

"Is she still not responding?" Flynn asked worriedly.

"Not even moving." Anna added.

Aiden approached Anna and placed his hand on her shoulder, "Hey, don't worry. I know Elsa will be okay." He smiled sincerely and she actually smiled back gratefully for his kindness. "Besides if she was strong enough to survive all those years in those dungeons, I KNOW she can pull through this." He glared playfully at the redhead, seeing her worried face that just wouldn't break. "Come on, Anna! Cheer up! Elsa just needs time to rest that's all."

But he knew in his heart that he was just as worried about Elsa as Anna was, and he wasn't sure if his encouragements were worthwhile.

Anna sighed and looked at Elsa again, "I don't know Aiden. She's… She's not even blinking."

"That's unusual…" Flynn blurted.

"Oh really?!" Anna said, feeling irritated, "She's as cold as ice! What if she was freezing herself without even knowing!?"

"I don't think it works that way…" Aiden said rubbing the back of his neck.

"What do YOU know!?" Anna yelled at him.

Instead of feeling upset at her for yelling like this, he smiled sympathetically and knelt down with his hand on her knee. "I know how worried you are, Anna." He said gently.

Anna's eyes widened a bit and her angry face fell into a sorrowful one. "Sorry…" She said with a voice full of remorse.

"It's alright." Aiden assured with a smile.

Anna was too ashamed to make eye contact with neither Flynn nor Aiden. She just leaned down towards Elsa and held her cold hand, "All I want is for her to be okay."

"Hey! Look on the bright side!" Flynn started happily, "She's safe here with us! We saved her from those fools, remember? Can't you give yourself credits for that, Feisty Pants?!" He ruffled her hair and laughed.

"Hey, my hair!" Anna said trying not to giggle.

"Oh come on, you!" Flynn said again, trying to cheer her.

Aiden shook his head in amusement, "Alright, you two… You better stop before you start pulling daggers on one another. As for now, we just need to wait an—"

BAM!

The door burst open. "We're HERE!" Rapunzel called, dragging Brandon from his leg and panting heavily along with Aphrodite who was holding the other leg.

"Well it's about time!" Anna said, "Where have you be—… Uh… Mum? Rapunzel? Why are you dragging Brandon like this?" She said pointing at the dizzy Brandon who was face planted to the floor.

"Like how?" Aphrodite asked innocently; totally oblivious that the poor man was pretty much uncomfortable for being dragged by his ankles.

"You pretty much wiped the floor with his face!" Aiden said, trying not to laugh.

Aphrodite and Rapunzel quickly turned to look at their victim on the floor.

"Ughhh…" The poor dizzy Brandon tried to make sense of his world. _She's gentle, I said… A softy! I said!_

"Brandon!" The two guilty women shouted in unison and quickly moved to help him up.

"Are you alright?!" Aphrodite asked worriedly.

"Oh God! I'm so sorry, Brandon!" Rapunzel said, pulling him up into a sitting position.

"Well look at the bright side, at least the fort is clean!" Aiden deadpanned.

"With his drool." Flynn added with a whisper and received a death glare from Rapunzel.

Aphrodite was helping him midway before her eyes caught Elsa. "Elsa!" She gasped and let go of poor Brandon, sending him back to the ground with a loud thud.

"Well it's about time you noticed!" Anna said and crossed her arms.

Aphrodite quickly ran to the bedside and stared down at her daughter. "What's this?!" She asked worriedly, referring to the frozen state Elsa was in.

"_You _tell me!" Anna started, "She just woke up like that and didn't say a word or move a muscle!"

Aphrodite placed her hand over Elsa's forehead. _She's cold. _Aphrodite thought in relief. "Which is good."

"Wha…? What's good?" Anna asked confused.

"She's cold." Aphrodite replied.

"And how's that a good thing?" Aiden asked.

"As long as her body isn't too warm, then it's a good sign." Aphrodite clarified.

"Well excuse me but a normal healer would have said the opposite." Flynn added and his eyes widened seeing the big death glare Aphrodite just shot him. _HOLY GOODNESS!_ He gulped and held his arms up in defense. "Nevermind!" He squeaked.

"Are you sure?" Anna asked in concern.

"Yes." Aphrodite confirmed.

"How do you know?"

Aphrodite's eyes widened a bit. She swallowed. "Uhm… I just figured that out since, you know, she has ice powers." She lied._ Nice job, Aphrodite._

Aphrodite raised Elsa for six years and she knew about her daughter's powers. Elsa would get either WAY too hot when sick or WAY too cold when scared, but when she was happy and excited, her body's temperature returned to a comfortable cold.

"Oh." Anna was convinced.

Rapunzel and Flynn finally helped Brandon up. "I think I'll wake up tomorrow with swollen lips." Brandon said as he rubbed his jaw.

"Ahh… I see!" Aiden teased while puckering his lips, remembering what he saw a few moments ago.

"What do you mean?" Brandon asked as he patted the dust off his clothes.

"Oh you know! You and…" Aiden whispered with a wink and elbowed him, pointing with his head at Aphrodite.

Aphrodite gasped aloud, hearing them. "WHAT!?" Her cheeks turned red.

Even Brandon's face turned red. "Are you kidding!?" He tried to laugh it off. "Haha… It was just an accident!"

"Yeahhhh!... I gotcha! An _accident_…" Aiden winked again.

"You idiot!" Aphrodite shouted in anger and embarrassment. "It WAS an accident!" She stomped her way to Aiden.

Aiden backed away slowly, holding his hands up in defense while trying to stifle a laugh. "I-I'm not gonna tell anyone!"

"What are you three talking about?" Anna asked as she stared with Rapunzel and Flynn in confusion at the scene.

"It's nothing!" Brandon said and quickly grabbed Aphrodite from her arm before she could reach Aiden. "Just stop it, Aiden!" He looked worriedly at Aphrodite's raging red face. But was it rage he witnessed? or was she just trying to hide her embarrassment with her anger? _You are doomed, boy! _Brandon thought.

"No it's alright! Nothing to be ashamed of!" Aiden said again, teasing the angry queen and her _admirer_.

"Aiden…" Aphrodite snarled, gritting her teeth.

"You are doomed, Aiden!" Brandon said, trying to hold Aphrodite back.

"Hey! Don't you think Branphodite is a nice name for a cou—"

"DOOMED!" Brandon said, unable to restraint the raging Aphrodite anymore.

"Run for your life, Man!" Flynn called.

Aiden couldn't hold his laugh anymore. His face turned red and he couldn't even hold himself together.

"Let me go, Brandon! I'll teach him to tie his tongue tight!" Aphrodite intimidated, kicking and punching the poor Brandon who was holding her back.

Punch to the face.

_Why do I always have to be the one to receive those!? _Brandon thought, trying to ignore the pain on his nose.

"Uhm…" Rapunzel started and leaned to the left to whisper to Anna. "Any ideas what's going on?" They watched the three with wide eyes.

"I have no idea." Anna replied, watching her mother in confusion.

"Although, Branphodite is a nice name." Flynn said to the two women, totally oblivious to the real meaning.

Three people watched another trio who were arguing and yelling at each other.

Anna just remembered something. She gasped. "This is all your fault!" She turned and pointed at Flynn.

"What!?" He was surprised, holding his hands up. _Where did that come from?!_

"If you didn't want a quick drink from The Snuggly Duckling we would have caught up with Elsa and stopped these savages before they could even be able to touch her!" She said, her face starting to turn red with irritation.

"Oh don't start it with me now!" Flynn hid behind Rapunzel. "You really are your mother's daughter! You have her temper!"

"Calm down, Feisty pants!" Rapunzel said with a giggle, trying to hold her back now too. "He was only getting water!"

"We wouldn't have given her that potion if we arrived earlier and before anything could happen!" Anna noted.

_Okay why is everyone fighting today?!_ Rapunzel thought, sighing. "Anna I know you're worried about Elsa but don't vent your anger on Flynn!"

"That's right!" Flynn agreed before he nearly lost his forehead, dodging Anna's fist and cowering behind the blonde. "Shouldn't we focus on the main problem here!? And it's curing your sis—sss— S-Symphony!"

Wow that was close. _Phew!_ Flynn wiped the sweat off his forehead.

"What does that have to do with the problem here!?" Anna yelled with her face turning redder.

Aphrodite threw a vase towards Aiden.

He dodged it.

DASH!

It smashed with the wall.

"Oh stop it, Anna!" Rapunzel was now getting angrier, seeing Anna yelling carelessly at her lover.

"Oh I'm _sorry_!" Anna started mockingly, batting her eye lashes. "Did I hurt your boyfriend!?"

Chaos… Just chaos. A room full of angry birds, and none of them noticing that Elsa was blinking and stirring.

"Where's yours!?" Rapunzel asked teasingly.

"ME!?" Anna pointed at herself, her face getting redder by remembering Kristoff. "H-He said he was going to bring something that will help! I have no idea where he is! A-And he's NOT my boyfriend!"

"Riggggghhhhhhtt...!" Rapunzel mocked.

Everyone just kept arguing and yelling at each other. Their faces were so red from both embarrassment and anger, each one of them just venting their stress on each other. Their voices were mixed up together as they all talked and yelled at the same time.

CHAOS!

And in the end… For the big finally…

"Aideennn!" Brandon and Aphrodite snarled.

"Flynnnn!" Anna growled.

"Annaaa!" Rapunzel groaned.

"Tomatooo!" A happy voice sing-songed.

Everyone was just so angr—… Wait what?

Silence.

Everyone had their eyes wide; frozen in their awkward position. Their heads slowly turned towards the voice to determine who wasn't so angry like all of them… Only to see Elsa sitting up in her bed with her hair a mess and she was staring at everyone with a sweet smile.

Complete Silence.

One second… Two seconds… Three seconds… Is that a cricket I hear?

They blinked.

So does Elsa.

Anytime now.

"No?" Elsa asked innocently, staring at everyone's red face.

Now?

One more second.

Yep.

"ELSA!" Anna shouted joyfully and jumped at the bed, wrapping the pale blonde in a crush hug. "You're okay!"

Elsa at first tensed up and her eyes widened in surprise as usual, but feeling the warmth coming out of her unknowingly little sister and watching the ecstatic tears rushing down Anna's face, she just couldn't refuse to hug back.

Slowly but surely, Elsa's arms wrapped Anna back in a welcoming hug.

"How are you, Snow-head?!" Flynn asked excitedly.

"You're awake!" Rapunzel announced joyfully.

"Welcome back, Elsa!" Aiden greeted.

Everyone rushed to Elsa's side, but made sure they respected her boundaries.

"How are you feeling?" Aphrodite was the first to ask, sitting right beside Elsa and gently taking her cold hand.

Anna slowly broke the hug and smiled fondly at Elsa, not noticing that there's still more tears- happy tears- rushing down her face.

Elsa smiled tenderly back at Anna then turned to Aphrodite. "I… I'm fine, I guess." She paused and frowned for a moment, "What happened?"

Their eyes widened since they weren't sure what to tell her. They were too concerned about her that they didn't have time to think of what to say to her after waking up.

Anna opened her mouth, "Uh… You were…" Her eyes looked to the left, trying to search for anyone's help. "Ask Rapunzel!" She blurted.

Rapunzel gasped. "Ask Flynn!" She grabbed Flynn by his arm and pulled him in front of her, hiding from Elsa.

"U-Uh…" Flyn stuttered, "What… What they are trying to say is… You… stumbled on a rock...uh… And…" He elbowed Aiden.

Aiden coughed nervously. "And… that rock's…_ family_!... was angry and… huge boulders fell behind you and started rolling towards you…"

Elsa gasped.

Aphrodite facepalmed.

Aiden held his breath, "U-Uh… Ask Brandon!"

"W-What!?...Oh— I mean…" Brandon bit his lip trying to search for words, "You… kept running… and you…uh… j-jumped over a cliff so that the boulders wouldn't hit you!"

_Oh… My… God._ Aphrodite closed her eyes no longer daring to see Elsa's face.

Elsa was horrified. She gasped and brought the bed sheets all the way to her mouth, trying to hide and keeping only her eyes exposed.

Anna rushed to help. "B-But an eagle caught you from your shoulders!" She blurted again waving her hands like a flying eagle then pointing at her shoulders. "And… uh… Hecarriedyoutoasafespot! Yup." She said, smiling in triumph with her chest puffed up with pride.

Elsa hugged herself with the sheets. "Then what!?" Elsa asked in full concern and curiosity, her voice muffled since the sheets were now covering her body and head, and she looked like she was sitting in a bed sheet cocoon with only her eyes shown.

"THEN!" Rapunzel volunteered raising her index in front of Elsa's face, "You walked towards the…fort! Yes, the fort. And… You… FOUND the fort! But…" She scratched her head, going out of ideas.

_Why did you even start again if you don't know what to say!?_ Anna thought, shaking her head slowly.

"Anna…?!" Elsa was very worried now and she turned to Anna for explanation and closure.

Anna opened her mouth but—

"An angry squirrel was waiting at the gate and he threw his nut at your head and you fell unconscious… End of the story." Brandon quickly said.

_Someone just please throw me in a Volcano._ Aphrodite thought, knowing very well that Elsa didn't fall for it.

A very interesting story this one was.

"Oh…" Elsa said, strangely feeling much more relaxed. "Okay!" She exclaimed happily, lowering the sheets from over her head, feeling safe again.

Everyone exhaled in relief.

_Well, that was… unexpected._ Aphrodite thought.

_That was close._ Anna thought.

"I can't believe she fell for it— Oof!" Flynn whispered but was elbowed in the ribs by his _gentle_, sweet Rapunzel.

_And they say women are soft and gentle._ Aiden thought, snickering at Flynn.

Aphrodite sighed and lifted her head to look at Elsa. "The important thing is that you are okay." She clarified gently, holding Elsa's cold hand in both of hers.

Elsa smiled widely back, only being able to see the woman's wide smile. Not her eyes… Not her hair. Just her smile, and that's all what Elsa needed to make her feel happy.

"Do you remember anything?" Aphrodite asked nervously.

Elsa's eyes widened in excitement and she quickly turned to Anna. "Anna, Anna! I learned to count! I learned to count, Anna!" She announced joyfully like an excited little girl.

"You did?!" Anna played along, actually feeling happy, trying to ignore her anxiety.

"Yes!" Elsa confirmed. "Look! LooK! There's… One…" She started counting on her fingers, her face full of enthusiasm. "Two…" She paused and scratched her head, trying to remember, "Three!" She shouted happily.

_Is she remembering!? I thought the potion was supposed to work! _Anna thought worriedly, smiling and trying to hide her anxiety.

"Four!..." Elsa had four fingers now, "And f—" She stopped. She frowned. "And…"

Everyone waited.

Elsa looked at her fingers with a pout.

"And… What?" Anna asked, wincing a bit.

"And…" Elsa mumbled, "I don't remember…" She confessed. She knew that what came next was a number that started with the letter 'F' but what was it? "Anna! I can't remember! Why can't I remember?! I knew what it was! Zoey showed me! I swear! It was—"

"Please, Elsa…" Anna stopped her by gently placing her hand on her shoulder and smiling reassuringly. "You had a rough day. Try to relax now, Okay?"

"But—"

"You need rest, Elsa. Please…" Aphrodite demanded this time.

Elsa just KNEW that there were more numbers, but why couldn't she remember?!

She sighed and lowered her head, "Okay…" She said in defeat and pouted.

"Flynn and I will teach you tomorrow all the numbers you want! Alright?" Anna tried to lift her sister's spirit up.

Elsa's face brightened. "Okay!" She nodded enthusiastically.

"Come on, Everyone." Rapunzel started. "Let us give Elsa some space and time to rest. I'm sure Anna can keep her company."

Everyone gave Elsa one last smile before they started heading to the door and leaving the room.

Before Aphrodite could get up, she turned at Elsa and Anna one more time and held Elsa's hand in her left and Anna's in her right. "I am very happy that you two are alright." She admitted.

Anna smiled back, "We're very lucky to have you, Mum."

A mother. That's what Elsa had lacked through those years of hell. A mother's comfort, a mother's tenderness and a mother's love, for she who lost her mother, lost a pure soul who blessed and guarded her constantly. Just by hearing that Leanna was concerned for someone like HER, she felt her entire world shine with rainbows and fireworks. Her heart beat faster and she never felt so content… So light-hearted. She knew she was cursed to carry that awful "heart" thing inside her chest that weighted tones, but a mere loving word from those two women in front of her made her feel lighter than a feather. Elsa swallowed and smiled widely back. That's everything she was able to do and give and it made her feel awful.

Anna giggled, "Can you stop worrying about us, Mother?"

Aphrodite smiled, "Mothers always worry. There's no off switch." She winked at both of her daughters before she quickly stood and walked out of the room. Deep inside, she wanted to just run to Elsa and tell her right in the face that she was her mother. That she was right here, beside her. That she would never leave her ever again. But she just couldn't do it. The feeling of guilt was too overwhelming. Deep down in her heart she wished that Elsa would finally get the hint and understand that she was standing amongst her real family, and that she wasn't alone anymore.

But Elsa stayed clueless.

Elsa's eyes widened a tiny bit and she couldn't but feel… shocked… yet jubilant! Did this woman just accept her as a daughter? Was she finally going to have something precious she lost so long ago?

Few more days… And she would find out.

* * *

The door burst open. A raging wounded man walked in, cursing everything and everyone he knew while grasping his wounded shoulder where a tattoo of a hissing snake found residence. "That bitch!" He said and kicked a chair sending it flying to the end of the room. The wound was a big cut that tore his shoulder right where the snake's neck was, hence beheading the poor reptile.

"How DARE she do this to me!?" Tyler yelled to himself. "Thinking she's the all so stupid _queen_ she is…" He approached his desk and opened a drawer, "Trying to throw a dagger at me!?" He took a bandage and sat on a chair.

"If I hadn't dodged it in time she would have had that thing right through my heart!... She did a big mistake!" He took off his shirt, wincing as he did from the pain the cut on his shoulder was giving him. "She wants to ruin all those years of my effort to build this damn stupid fort!" He started wrapping the bandage around his shoulder. "All because of that crazy freak of a daughter she has!" He finished, wrapping the bandage and placing his elbows on his knees with his face in his hands.

_She thinks she can make me do whatever she wants?! A slave to her? She thinks she can give me orders?! She's been completely blind on how the fort is being destroyed and everyone is getting paranoid! All because of that—_

He groaned in rage and smashed his fist on the table. "That WITCH!... Ever since they brought that crazy mutant here, everything started falling apart! Freezing doors, walls, rooms and everything she touches! And what do I do…!?" He changed his voice into a mocking one, "Tyler, that woman froze my house! Tyler, that woman froze my crops! Tyler, that witch is dangerous! Tyler this! Tyler that! That woman, that woman, that crazy witch!" He shoved everything off the table, leaving papers flying everywhere.

"I hate her!" He yelled to himself, "She and that arrogant mother and stupid sist—" He suddenly stopped raging as his eyes caught something that interested him.

He looked at the ground to see the familiar paper. He smirked and leaned down, taking the paper in his hands. "Well well… Wanted for murder and treason, huh, Snow Queen?" His head shot back as he burst out laughing, "Grand reward given personally by the fair and merciful King Jamie of Arendelle?! Oh how sweet of you, your Majesty! HA!" He chuckled then quickly placed the paper in his pocket, taking his vest, putting it on and getting excited. "Dave!... Dave!" He called out.

The door opened and a young man entered, "Yes, Chief—" The boy's eyes widened after noticing Tyler's wound. "Chief! Your shoulder!"

Tyler rolled his eyes, "Don't mind that you idiot. It was just that stupid quee—… Uh… I just got bit by a wolf."

The boy furrowed his eyesbrows in confusion, "But that's not a bite woun—"

"Cancel all of my assignments and hire someone else instead." He said and finished putting his gear on.

"But Chief—" The boy tried to reason.

"Do what I say, Boy! I received a much better offer." His eyes turned to the map on the ground, "Gold beyond your dreams…" He whispered, more to himself, staring at the map with hungry eyes; dark with greed. "That can last us a lifetime!... I received a much more worthy assignment to do and I'll be gone for a few days."

"What kind of assignment, Sir?" The young man asked, feeling confused and wondering what was so important that would have Tyler cancel every other mission he took.

"Well, Boy… Since I'm the most talented man in this fort, I was hired to bring a _certain_ beast back to its cage." Tyler vaguely said while smirking as his thoughts exploded with visions of gold and fortune.

"A-A beast?!... Sir?" The boy's face paled.

"Yes." Tyler walked over the window and watched the peaceful village outside.

"Where to, sir?"

Tyler smirked, "A place where Winter is permanent, and the sun shows no notice… A place where people live in fear and freeze to death… A place, my boy, is where the night is dark and full of terrors."

The boy was horrified. What kind of a place was that!? And why did Tyler even want to go there?!

"That place, dear simple-minded Dave, is called… "

_Arendelle._

* * *

_**P.S : "The night is dark and full of terrors." – by **__George R.R Martin__** from the game of thrones book series.**_

**Hello guys, this is Lany and I have SO much to say.**

**First, I wanna thank the awesome people who would send me messages of **_**encouragements **_**like "Elsa isn't a monster, but you are. Update dammit."**

**or even better...**

**"You're such a whore (bitch, slut, mean, heartless, careless) for being so selfish and leaving us hanging like this."**

**or**

**"If you think so highly of yourself just because you have a famous story, doesn't mean you should treat us like shit."**

**As a reply to this: NO. I don't think highly of myself AT ALL. Wanna know what I believe?**

**I believe I'm a damn slave to my stepmom and a goddamn whore. I believe I'm dangerous and crazy because of my DID and PTSD and YES I am a monster because I have an alter that cause nothing but destruction and literally wants to beat the shit out of anyone in sight and I completely lose control and just black out when this alter comes out. Happy now, everyone? That's ME. I don't need pity or whatever, but thanks a lot you guys for reminding me of what I am and for showing me that this world is unfortunately full of shitty selfish people.**

**People keep pushing me to write, that I'm starting to hate it. If you find any spelling mistakes or whatever well I don't care because I just wrote that chapter as quick as I can just to shove it in your faces and tell you : "Here's your stupid update. Satisfied? Can you leave me alone and stop sending me pms about how much of a bitch I am for not updating?"**

**Yes?**

**Okay.**

**I'm a person and I have my own life. My cousin Aya who used to update you on my condition died a while ago. I won't say how. Just don't ask. So if you please cut me some slack it would be much appreciated since I'm grieving right now and I want some time to collect myself. Although I know some people care shit about it and just want their damn update.**

**If I someday stop writing and delete this story it will be because of these kinds of people.**

**Now…. Let's try to be positive and pretend I'm happy.**

**Second, I really want to thank the SOPHISTICATED, compassionate and thoughtful people who would send me sweet messages of encouragement and would ask me if I'm okay or some even wanted to send me gifts and chocolate boxes and get well soon cards! xD hahahahah Messages like this really help me deal with the overwhelming confusion and trauma I'm dealing with here :/**

**You guys should know that I'm in a hospital for a reason I DON'T know but my parents say that I have memory loss of the past few months :P and I was SHOCKED to see that I am in TURKEY for some reason O.o and no longer in Lebanon. I was so surprised to see that I wrote ALL these advanced chapters already like "Do you wanna build a snow man 1 and 2" or the "The woman in white" O.O so Idk I feel like I'm lucky that I wrote the chapters without even knowing xD haha I also woke up to find that I lost SOOOO much weight :P not in a good way. I was thin already, now I'm a skeleton. maybe I was sleep-jogging?... My body is doing things for me xD! woohoo!... uh...**

**NOT IN THAT WAY YOU FILTHY-MINDED PEOPLE! XD**

**okay that was weird. shut up lany. :P**

**OKAY! *Back to reality* ffffffssssssiiiiiuuuuummmmmm**

**I'm back! Anyway. PLEASE you guys just have patience even though I'm pretty sure some of you proved they don't. :P I know I'm horrible for not updating often but I really am NOT capable of doing it PHYSICALLY. I will still try my best to update and I know you guys won't trust my word anymore but it's understandable.**

**Third, I want you all to LITERALLY bombard me with constructive criticism! I want to try my best to make the story better! :D and no I won't be discouraged. My stepmom taught me to be a perfectionist. Some of you think the story is too slow, some of you think it's too fast. I once said this story is HUGE and I might even have to divide it into several books! O.O or just make a shortcut and finish it early, or just stop it entirely and just write a real book. :P changing the characters and the concept and all. who knows. I think I'm going to go back ALLL the way to the first chapter and fix all those spelling mistakes and stuff...and...more stuff...**

**Stuff.**

**Long story short: Please don't tell me how to write **_**my**_** story :)**

**YOU F***ing king! I hate you -.- I was reading my own story like i was the reader herself! xD**

**I'm bored :P... what can someone do in a hospital bed?**

**Okay I should stop talking. See you in the next chapter...but...I have writers block and I have NO idea what it will be about :P... probably Elsa finally getting educated... or... Tyler meeting the king... or...Lany trying to poop or... discovering what "free will" and "freedom" is like what my psychiatrist said :P... Bla, bla, bla**

**I'm having speech therapy in a few minutes so… **

**Bye!**


	45. Dissociation

**Before starting, maybe you wanna finally check how Aiden and Tyler really look like :)**

**I drew them and colored them using Adobe Illustrator and it's a way better version than the pencil sketches I did before. :P I'm progressing! xD**

**My deviantart: Lany19**

**As for today's chapter…**

**Warning: a tiny bit of a certain "curse" word. :P**

**But it's used for humor not for a bad purpose.**

**So children just cover your eyes and skip the part xD :P**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XLV: Dissociation

It was a very strange day for August. The sky turned gray at noon, contrary to its nature. A thought in her head had told her to _Go Back_—Go Back _Now_ just before she could notice the dark swirling mass of sky-water reaching the grass on the ground.

Riding in front of her group and leading them to their target, she felt guilty— No, worse. Delinquent even!

_But why?! She thinks she can just fill my head with her crazy stories and tell me that _The Snow Queen_ is her daughter, and that Robin died to PROTECT her? Yeah right. Snow queen daughter my butt. _Diana's head was filled with chaos; opposite thoughts colliding with each other. _She was lying— No I mean she was probably just trying to protect her daughter?— Who is a murderous Snow Witch— But who was scared as hell from Gunner and the others back then and— what if…? But?... So then it's…? GAH!_

So many thoughts.

Was it true? Was it a lie? Oh, she had no idea.

If she had one she would have turned her horse around and led all those angry villagers and hunters away from The Snow Queen AKA Elsa AKA Her husband's niece… AKA Her _family_, but—

_It was THEIR fault Robin died! He was my HUSBAND! He was the father of my SON! I created our child with him! I just—… I just—…_ Diana sighed, lowering her head and trying to hide her tears._ I just miss him so much! _She wanted to just cry where she was but if it weren't for the weird stares everyone was giving her she would have easily chosen to bawl her eyes out and mourn her deceased husband.

_Elsa… Pah! She named this witch too? Aphrodite, you idiot._ She shook her head angrily again, being the stubborn blonde she was. _But she's her daughter for crying out loud! She's Anna's sister too! _Her face fell back into a sullen look and she was miserable again…

Only for it to go back into an angry sneer._ But she's a murderer! She killed people! Froze children to death! The king said so! She is a cold witch! A heartless killer! She's an angry MONSTER!_ She slammed her fist on her thigh. _She's Aphrodite's daughter! She's a human! She's such a beautiful innocent girl! She's his family! She's Robin's family! She's… She's…_

"AH! She's his freaking NIECE!" Diana shouted and clutched her hair, spooking everyone and their horses.

"What the hell, woman!" A man behind her shouted, trying to calm his neighing horse.

"She's his NIECE!" Diana turned to the man and shouted angrily.

"_Who_ is?!" Everyone silently waited for an answer under the light rain.

Diana was frozen. "Uh…" She stared awkwardly at them, and they stared back, utterly bewildered.

Diana thought and thought and thought. It was now or never. Save her husband's niece or bring The Snow Queen to justice?

She finally took a decision.

Diana suddenly glared, "Can't a crazy woman talk to herself here!? What's it with you?! Are you hitting on me?!"

"WHAT!?" The poor oblivious and baffled man squealed.

But Diana continued, "Oh I know your kind, you dumbass! We are here to… catch the snow queen and not to play The Birds and The Bees! Now come on!" She quickly turned her horse, leaving no time for anyone to argue with her. "It's this way! We'll be there in no time!" She took the other way, purposely leading everyone in the wrong direction and away from the fort, with one hell of a big-ugly scowl on her face that would have killed a bear.

"How long will it take for us to arrive?" One man asked.

"A month." Diana coldly lied.

"WHAT!?" Everyone shouted.

"But the king said—"

"Fuck the king!" Diana shouted. "Now MOVE IT!"

Never argue with an angry widow.

_Aphrodite, you big piece of a crappy queen of poop, you BETTER have a good explanation! I loved my husband and I know he sacrificed himself for you and your children. I won't let his death go in vain. You owe me big time, Aphrodite… Big time._

* * *

A thud.

"Alright, Elsa. It's been two days and I think you've rested enough, right?" Anna asked while placing a huge stack of books in front of Elsa on the table, her face no longer visible.

Elsa stared at the big stack of books, up and down, with wide eyes. Was she going to read and study _all _that?!

"But now it's time to study and fill that mind of yours with some useful knowledge, okay?" Anna said while turning around, going to search for more books in the library they were in.

Elsa kept eyeing awkwardly—… and truthfully a bit worriedly at the books, "Uhm… Okay…" She poked her head from behind the books and looked at Anna curiously, watching her take several more books from the shelves.

"The Alphabet... The Alphabet…?" Anna searched between the books, running her finger along them and trying to find the one she should start with for Elsa. "The Alpha— Aha! Found it!" She pulled the book from the shelf and placed it on top of the ones she was carrying. She then turned to Elsa and placed the other stack on the table. "Well, Elsa, let's start from the very beginning, of course. You were a princess so you probably had learned SOME things back then, right?" She asked while pulling a chair and placing it right next to Elsa, then sat.

"Well?" Anna asked again, smiling sweetly at the anxious princess.

"Uhh…" Was what all Elsa managed to say. She once knew how to read but after everything she went through, she totally forgot how the letters even looked like.

Anna smiled sympathetically, "Don't worry you'll catch up on it all again. It's really easy. You'll see!" She said, placing a hand on the pale blonde's shoulder.

"Okay." Elsa was uncertain, but she agreed anyway.

"We'll start with the simplest things like the Alphabet." Anna informed, taking the first book from the top of the stack. "Alright," She placed it on the table in front of them and opened it, pushing it closer to Elsa. "We start?"

Elsa nodded with a smile, looking down on the first image that was a huge "A" and another minuscule one 'a' next to it.

Anna tapped the page, "There are twenty-six letters to learn so we'll start from the very beginning." She pointed at the first letter, "A…"

* * *

_Knock Knock Knock_

"Enter."

The door opened and an old woman with grey hair came in, "Good morning, Leanna. How are you today?"

"I'm fine, Waela. Thank you." Aphrodite said with her serious tone, giving Waela her special stone cold face, before turning to continue searching between the ingredients in the cupboard. "Do you need anything?"

"Oh yes, Ma'am, it's just one of the boys who went out to gather wood. He was injured. He arrived just now with quite a hideous gash on his side." She said, approaching Aphrodite who was still searching in the cupboard and definitely seemed to be frustrated by the fact that she couldn't find what she was looking for.

"Was he aiming at the tree or himself?" Aphrodite flatly asked.

"Uh I-I don't know, Ma'am." Waela answered, swallowing nervously since she could sense Aphrodite's annoyance.

Aphrodite sighed, "Probably both." She closed the cupboard then moved to the other side of the room to search in the drawers. "Fine, then. Here." She took out a vile from the drawer and handed it to Waela. "Put this on his wound and bandage it properly. Tell him next time he comes to me whining about another wound, I'll cut him myself." She went back to search in another cupboard, cursing under her breath and trying to find the right ingredient.

Waela was taken aback about what Leanna said, but it was _Leanna_ for crying out loud, so it wasn't THAT surprising to her. She was used to her cold personality. "I'll… I-I'll make sure he knows that, Ma'am." She said while trying to hide her apprehension with a fake smile.

"Agh, dammit." Aphrodite cursed and gave up on finding her ingredient. She closed the cupboard and brought her fingers to her temple, trying to ease her headache.

"Rough morning?" Waela asked while smiling sympathetically.

Aphrodite slowly shook her head, "You have no idea." She took a deep breath then, "Have you seen Anna and the others?"

"Oh, yes. Anna and the princess were headed to the library. As for the others I saw Aiden and Rapunzel at the stables." Waela answered.

"Brandon and Flynn?" Aphrodite asked for some reason.

"Probably somewhere around the fort, Ma'am."

Aphrodite nodded, "Good, good…"

"Were you looking for something, Ma'am?" Waela asked.

Aphrodite lifted her head and looked at Waela, "Oh, yeah. Uhm… Where are the _Arnica_ herbs? I need them for the baker's daughter. She's sick."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Leanna, but we are out of those. You'll have to wait for the harvesters to come back." Waela deliberately said.

"And when is that?" Aphrodite asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, for starters, they only left yesterday so they'll need three days. Don't worry, though… Just give them time."

"Time is gold." Aphrodite reminded.

"Yes. But—"

"Probably even worth more than gold. The little girl is sick and running out of _time_, not _coin_." The frustrated queen deadpanned.

_That_ silenced Waela who lowered her head, feeling remorseful for the little girl whom Leanna was talking about. Leanna was a wise one and she wasn't known just for her healing skills but also for her wit and perception. But the current situation was inevitable.

Unless…

"Hmm… Oh! What about Bulda? Maybe she has some." Waela proposed.

"Bulda?" Aphrodite asked, not recognizing whom Waela was suggesting.

"The florist, of course!" Waela clarified, "I'll go see her now and ask her if she has any of what you nee—"

"No need, Waela. Thank you." Aphrodite shook her head and raised a hand to stop the old woman, "I'll go ask her myself."

* * *

The door opened and a man walked out, stretching his arms upwards.

_Agh dammit, my back!_ Brandon thought, feeling the ache around his muscles. _What a lovely morning._ He thought mockingly since the weather was not so happy with all those grey clouds floating around the sky. _I seriously need a new mattress for my bed._ A thought suddenly crossed his mind. "Well, that's weird." He said to no one. "It's quiet... Too quiet." He looked around the fort, seeing that everything was fine and everyone was doing their normal business just like every day's routine.

The guards were guarding. The farmers were farming. The kids were… Well. Playing. And so on.

But something was just. Not. Right.

Brandon frowned. _Where's Tyler?_

Usually, Tyler always came early and woke Brandon with his yelling and whining about the fort's problems and fundamental needs.

Brandon's eye caught someone and he quickly called, "Dave! Hey! Over here."

Dave quickly rushed to oblige his chief.

"Yes, Chief?" The young man stood straight in front of his superior.

"Have you seen, Tyler, today?" Brandon asked.

"No. Not really, Sir. He went out yesterday on an important mission." Dave answered truthfully.

"Did he say where he was going?" Brandon interrogated.

"No, Sir. He said it was very important and that it will be very good financially for the fort. He said he'll make great profit out of his given task, Sir. It will help us all." The boy said happily, admiring his _Brave Chief_, Tyler.

"That's… Good." Brandon was skeptical… Very skeptical. "Alright then, go ahead." Brandon motioned for the boy to go.

"Yes, Chief." The boy nodded and scurried off.

_Where the hell are you, Tyler? And what task is _that_? _Brandon thought, getting an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

But no. Not now. He wasn't going to let Tyler's issues distract him from what he was going to do. He had more important stuff to take care of… and _something_ in particular _very_ special. _Well… good luck Tyler… On whatever deadly mission you're after. You'll just probably lose a few fingers._ He thought for a moment. _Or hopefully your tongue._

And He started walking towards the blacksmith where his first special and personal quest started.

* * *

"So?... You got it? Quite simple really isn't it, Elsa?" Anna asked while placing her elbows on the table with her chin on her hands.

"Yup." Elsa nodded.

"How about you recite them for me!" Anna suggested.

"Okay!" Elsa agreed excitedly.

She shifted in her seat and readied herself to recite. She took a deep breath and…

"A… B… C…"

"Good, good. Come on, carry on." Anna encouraged, biting her lip.

"D… E-E…" Elsa stopped for a moment and pursed her lips, trying to remember. She suddenly gasped, "Oh I know! I know!" Elsa lifted her waving hand; a smile on her face, "F!... G… H-H…"

"You're doing great! Just keep at it. No rush." Anna cheered.

"I… J… K… L-L…" Elsa stopped again and bit her lip worriedly, trying to remember but finding it hard. _What was it?! Q? O? N? _She thought nervously, her heartbeat quickening.

Anna felt Elsa's anxiety and she rushed to soothe her. "It's okay if you forgot. Don't worry, it's your first time!" She grabbed Elsa's hand gently and smiled fondly at her, reassuring her that everything was fine and that it was okay to make mistakes sometimes.

Elsa smiled nervously back and felt comforted. _Okay, Elsa… Just focus. _She played with her fingers, looking right and left as if she would have found the next letter written somewhere. She closed one eye and squeaked, "O?"

Anna smiled and shook her head. "No… But you did great I'm so proud of you!" She moved to hug Elsa but the princess stopped her.

"Wait! Wait! I know the next letter!" Elsa said, waving her hands in front of Anna's face. _Come on, Elsa! Think! Think!_

Three… two… one.

Elsa suddenly gasped loudly, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"Ah!" A spooked Anna almost fell out of her chair.

"I KNOW!" Elsa shouted happily and stood, her wide excited cyan eyes were inches away from Anna's blue-grey ones. "It's N!"

Silence.

Elsa stared with a radiant sweet smile and Anna stared back with Elsa standing and leaning over her, very close to her face.

"Right?" Elsa asked innocently.

Anna tried not to laugh. She couldn't resist that sweet smile and cute happy eyes. She giggled a bit, "No… It's M. But you were close!"

Elsa's smile fell and she stared blankly at Anna.

Another moment of silence and Elsa was still leaned towards Anna.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

Elsa leaned back and threw herself in her chair, slumping down and sinking with a pout, "Fuck."

Anna's eyes widened and she gasped, "Elsa, what was that!?"

"What?" Elsa stared at Anna, totally oblivious.

Anna stood, "That word!"

"What word?"

"'Fuck'!" Anna whispered, knowing it's a bad word.

"Fuck?" Elsa cocked her head to the side.

"Yes, 'Fuck'!" Anna repeated the bad word without noticing.

Elsa shrugged, "I heard Flynn say it when he was upset."

Anna gasped and slapped her mouth; her eyes wide.

Silence again…

They stared blankly at each other.

Elsa, however, got distracted when she saw an ant on her book. Her face brightened, "Hi, Olaf." She whispered while waving.

"FLYNN! Get your BUTT over here!" Anna called out, smashing her fist on the table.

Flynn suddenly dashed in, completely oblivious to what was happening, "What's wrong!? Is everyone okay!? Were you attacked?! Who were they!? Oh I'll smash that sku—" He stopped his quick rambling when he noticed an irritated Anna who had her arms crossed and a scowl on her face with Elsa behind her waving 'Hi' happily towards him.

"Hi, Flynn." Elsa greeted with a blissful smile.

"Hey, Elsa…" He waved back. "Uh… Did I miss something?" He asked while rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yes. _You_ taught Elsa a bad word!" Anna accused, poking him hard in his chest while glaring at him.

"WTF?! I didn't!" He defended.

Anna gasped, "Stop saying Fuck!"

"Fuck!" Elsa threw her hands in the air and shouted happily with her eyes closed.

Anna facepalmed.

"Oh." Flynn stared at Elsa who still had her hands in the air as his realization came in. "Well that was awkward I guess. Just tell her not to say it again."

"Oh trust me, it's not that simple. You should have been more careful!"

"I heard you say it too." Elsa confessed as she lowered her arms.

"See? She heard you sa— Wait, what?! Who me!?" Anna pointed at herself, sweat starting to cover her forehead as she blushed.

"Yes!" Elsa confirmed.

"Aha! See!? Guilty!" Flynn pointed at Anna.

_How didn't I notice that before?!... Saying this in front of Elsa? Way to go, Anna._ Anna thought as she felt guilty and lowered her head.

"What does it mean?" Elsa suddenly asked in curiosity.

Anna and Flynn's eyes widened and they exchanged awkward looks; their faces turning red.

_Tomatoes._ Elsa thought but still stared at them and waited for an answer.

"Uhhh..." Anna didn't know what to say. "It… it…"

"Yes…?" Elsa's eyes were wide and filled with a child's awe.

"Iiiitttt… Just meaaaannn…" She elbowed Flynn.

"Uh…" He muttered to himself and… "See ya." And he dashed out of the room and ran away as fast as he could.

Anna gasped and tried to catch him before he could get away but she was too late. "You'll regret this, Flynn!" She yelled from the door and sent death glares towards him as he ran, laughing in victory.

Anna sighed and cursed under her breath. She turned at Elsa and saw that Elsa was STILL waiting for an answer. "Haha…" She giggled nervously. "Well… it means…" She couldn't explain something like that to her!

So she decided to go simple.

"AH it just mean peeling potatoes now come on!" Before Elsa could react, Anna grabbed her by her arm and pulled her behind her, "Let's go do something fun!"

"Can we go peel potatoes with Louis?" Elsa innocently asked.

"Trust me, you don't wanna do that." Anna said and tried to ignore everyone's weird looks as they passed.

"Peeling potatoes!" Elsa jumped and shouted happily for everyone to hear, raising a finger in triumph.

"Oh just stop it!"

* * *

"Good morning, Jeff."

"Brandon! My friend! Where have you been all along?!" A huge bulky man with a big dirty blond beard, wearing his blacksmithing gear shouted. "Come here and give your old pal a man-hug!" He said, opening his arms wide while holding a hammer in one hand and a metal stick that was flaming hot and burning with an orange-red color.

"Woah! Woah! Get that away from me, first!" Brandon said, raising his hands in defense and chuckling at the big man's enthusiasm.

"Oh right… Sorry about that, pal." The big man apologized and turned to place his equipment somewhere safe.

"You should be more careful with what you hold, my friend." Brandon said, seating himself on a barrel.

The big man's head shot back as he let out a loud laugh, "Brandon, my boy! If it weren't for all of those things I hold, all of you thieves would have lost your gear!" He joked and laughed aloud again.

"Or an eye." Brandon deadpanned and laughed at the man's kind heart and humor.

Jeff was the fort's blacksmith. He was VERY tall and huge in size and a bit fat. He had a light brown, very thick beard but his head was completely bald. Sure his looks made him look like a Viking but on the inside he was very kind and funny, and Brandon saw him like a brother since they had been friends ever since they were kids.

"So tell me." Jeff started while wiping his dirty hands with an even dirtier towel and approaching Brandon, "What brings you here today?" He said sitting on a chair next to Brandon while placing his hand on the man's shoulder.

"I have a favor to ask of you." Brandon nervously said.

"Anything you want, Bran." Jeff assured.

"I…" He trailed off a bit, "Need a sword."

"A sword? But you're a dual dagger wielder. You're not good with swords. In fact you totally stink with them!" Jeff shot his head back again and laughed, slapping Brandon on the back and knocking him out of breath.

Brandon chuckled nervously, "Well… it's not actually for me." Brandon confessed.

Jeff's eyes widened a bit and he stopped laughing, "Oh?... And what size do you want that sword to be?"

Brandon showed Jeff the size using his hands.

Jeff suddenly burst into loud laughter and this time with tears, "Oh god!" He just couldn't stop laughing.

Brandon only rolled his eyes and shook his head in amusement, not being able to stop himself from chuckling alongside his childhood best friend.

"What? Are you gonna cut down a whole army with that?!" Jeff mocked and laughed again.

"It's not for fighting, my friend."

"Of course!" Jeff said and… "Very well!" He slapped Brandon hard on his back and Brandon could have sworn his back cracked.

"Jeff I want you to hammer the sword and use that good arm of yours on it! Not _me_!" They laughed with each other as good old friends and enjoyed their moment.

"Well you know me. Blame my work and muscles." Jeff winked. "Alright then," Jeff stood up, "I'll start working on it first thing tomorrow. I'll make sure to use the purest and neatest silver." He brought his arm around Brandon's shoulder, "And just for you, Bran my boy, it will be the best sword you'll ever see. That person you wanna give the sword to sure is lucky."

Brandon smiled to himself, "Yeah."

"Well. Best get to it then." He slapped Brandon on the back again and laughed aloud, knowing that he purposely was harsh. "Oh and by the way, someone seems to have a liking to you, Bran my pal." He winked and pointed with his head to the left.

Brandon gave him a confused look then turned to see.

There, stood three women giggling, taking shy peeks at Brandon and snickering between each other.

_Oh boy…_ Brandon thought, not interested at all. He sighed and shook his head slowly.

Before he could turn and walk away, one of them approached and grabbed his arm, "Hey there, handsome. Free to spend some time to… _talk_?" She seductively said.

Brandon gently grabbed her hand and released himself from her grip. "No thanks, Sarah. I'll pass. Just like always."

The young woman pouted angrily and crossed her arms, "You always reject my affection. Is there a woman in your life already?"

Brandon blushed, "T-That's none of your concern, Sarah. I told you before I have more important stuff to do."

"Oh, come on now…" She grabbed his arm again, showing off her curves and biting her lip. "If you could just get to know me you won't be so stubborn anymore." She played with his hair.

_God dammit, woman! Leave me alone._

Brandon was uncomfortable. He flinched away but her hold was firm. "Uhm… Sarah… I know what you're thinking and that won't work with me."

"Such strong muscles you have there, Branny." She gently touched his biceps, making him shiver. "I bet you're even stronger in _battle_."

_Branny?! Oh God above…_

"U-Uh… don't you have other stuff to do? I don't know. Like working at the fields?" He shifted in his place, trying to show her that he's _very_ uncomfortable with her touching him.

"Yes. But I think I found something more interesting than the fields." She winked, "Oh don't be such a mule, Branny. I'm giving you everything I have!" She just wasn't going to give up.

"I said… I'll pass." Brandon was irritated now.

She giggled a bit, "Oh trust me... I'm as stubborn as you are, Branny."

"Is that so?" A woman's sarcastic voice said, and Brandon's eyes widened, knowing very well who it was.

_Ohhhh boy…_

* * *

_Few minutes Earlier…_

"Good morning, Bulda."

Startled, Bulda quickly turned to face her client, "Oh! L-Leanna! What a great surprise! I didn't see you there. Good… G-Good morning to you." Bulda welcomed.

Aphrodite stood tall, proud and confident, a cold and stern look on her face as always. Her posture and tone of voice completely neat and balanced.

"Hm confident as always, I see?" Bulda suddenly asked.

Aphrodite was taken aback but she did not show it, "Well, to succeed in life, you need two things: ignorance _and_ confidence."

"Maybe," Bulda smiled, "But you're not here to give me lectures. So tell me, _Leanna_, how can I help you?"

"We were out of Arnica in the infirmary. I was wondering if you have any." Aphrodite said, folding her hands neatly in front of her, after making sure her hood was good.

"A man who bumped his head?" Bulda asked, raising an amused eyebrow and wanting to know for whom Leanna needed the herbs.

"A sick little girl at her death bed." Aphrodite corrected, her tone showing no emotion.

"Oh…" This was lachrymose news for Bulda. "Very well… I guess I have what you need." Bulda admitted with a sincere smile.

Aphrodite couldn't help but smile back in reprieve, "I'm relieved."

"Give me a minute and I'll prepare them for you."

"Thank you, Bulda." Aphrodite gave her a graceful nod of appreciation.

Bulda nodded back and turned to the pots so she could pick the flowers neatly from their roots. "You know, Leanna… I can't help but notice how deeply you care for the girl."

"I do not." Aphrodite lied, "I simply do not like the fact that someone at her age has to die in order that the rest of us should value life more."

Bulda nodded in agreement then cut the first flower, "Death is nothing, my dear, but to live hidden in a lie is to die daily."

Aphrodite's eyebrows furrowed, "Pardon?"

"You lie to yourself too often, Leanna. You know very well that you care about that girl. In fact you care about every one of us here. Almost as if you are a wise Queen who cares for her subjects."

Aphrodite averted her eyes, "Maybe… Maybe not. Trying to imply something, Bulda?"

Bulda shrugged, "Every woman has her secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call her cold when she is only sad."

Aphrodite's eyes widened. She lowered her head a bit, and Bulda noticed, and continued, "I always wondered when you're gonna leave this game and stop being a fool."

The queen chuckled at that. "Better a witty fool than a foolish wit." She said, staring at the ground.

They were entertaining each other; challenging their intellect in a battle of words.

Bulda laughed, "A fool thinks herself to be wise, but a wise woman knows herself to be a fool. So what do you think of yourself, Leanna?"

Aphrodite stood silent and thought for a moment, her eyes still stuck to the ground, taking in Bulda's every word.

After a moment, Aphrodite smiled and lifted her head to look at the woman whom she respected, "The queen of fools."

Bulda stared off for a moment, comprehending the healer's words, then, "Wisely said." She turned again and continued picking the flowers. "But you're not the queen of fools…"

Aphrodite smirked, "Oh?" She had clear amusement on her face.

"You're just a wise fool." Bulda winked at her.

"Couldn't agree more." Aphrodite chuckled.

After their little parley, Bulda continued picking silently while the queen observed her surroundings.

"There. This should be enough." The short woman said, holding the sac of herbs in her hands. She turned to Leanna and handed it to her.

"Thank you, Bulda. I owe you one." Aphrodite took the sac and turned to leave but…

"Actually, you owe me twice." Bulda unexpectedly said.

Aphrodite turned and looked at her in confusion, seeing the smirk on her face.

"Did you know that a mother takes twenty years to make a man out of her boy, and another woman makes a fool of him in twenty minutes?" Bulda vaguely asked, confusing the queen more and more.

"What?"

Bulda pointed to the right while grinning.

Oblivious to what Bulda was trying to show her, the queen turned and saw something that for some strange reason made her inners boil and her eyes go wide.

She saw Brandon with a beautiful woman who was throwing herself all over the man.

"You look quite pale my dear. Do you need some water?" Bulda asked slyly.

"No… But I think that woman needs some lessons in Dignity." Aphrodite said while gritting her teach hard and feeling very furious.

"Why are you mad? Every man wants a woman." Bulda teased, knowing very well about Aphrodite's feelings.

"And every man needs a lesson." Aphrodite sneered, glaring daggers at the scene.

* * *

"I said… I'll pass." Brandon was irritated now.

Sarah giggled a bit, "Oh trust me... I'm as stubborn as you are, Branny."

"Is that so?" Aphrodite said smirking.

The moment Brandon heard that voice, he knew he was doomed. But why? It's not like she liked him or something.

Sarah was irritated when she heard the woman's voice behind her. She realized there was a challenger just by the tone of the woman's voice. "Ah for god's sake whoever you are… You're such a nuisance! Can't you see that Chief Branny and I are busy here?" She said in a frustrated voice, showing all signs that she cared less about who was behind her and gave no respect.

Aphrodite's eye twitched as she tried to keep her fake smile. Behind those happy lips, she was gritting her teeth _hard_. _Bran—… ny…?!_ She felt a very strange feeling in her heart when she heard that come out of the woman's mouth.

"Didn't you hear me, Nuisance?" The woman started to turn around to look at her rude opponent's face. "You are definitely deaf! I said I want to tu— Ah! L-Leanna!" Sarah screamed in surprise, her confidence dropping to zero in front of THE toughest Healer. "U-U-Uh what a great surprise! I didn't know it was you! I swear!"

Brandon could see that Sarah was scared and he couldn't help but smile in amusement. Albeit his smile quickly dropped and he looked away when he saw Aphrodite's death glare.

"Hello, Sarah… Brandon… I'm sorry if I was such a… _Nuisance_. I might have interrupted _something_, huh?" Aphrodite smirked, keeping her hands behind her back and clenching her fists hard.

"NO!" Brandon and Sarah shouted in unison.

"I-It's nothing! Really! She was just saying Hi!" Brandon vindicated.

Sarah decided to join, "A-A nuisance!? You?! No, no, NO! Not at all! W-What I said was… S-Susan! Y-Yes! I thought you were just Susan. She's quite a-annoying. Haha…" Sarah's seductive posture was all gone and she was nothing but a nervous and awkward young woman.

"Hmm, yeah, aha, I see…" Aphrodite played along. "You know, Sarah... It's been a long time since we talked. Let's have a _conversation_ alone. Just me and you, woman to woman, and you get to _know_ me better, wouldn't you like that?" Aphrodite started approaching Sarah.

"Oh! Y-Yes! Of course but—" Before Sarah could continue, Aphrodite linked arms with her and started pulling her away from Brandon.

"Oh, come on now! It's just a small talk!" Aphrodite tried to smile innocently, pulling Sarah next to her.

"U-Uh… okay." Sarah never witnessed THIS side of Leanna.

When they were away enough from Brandon's earshot, Aphrodite stopped in her tracks forcing Sarah to stop too, nearly making her stumble. "So!" Aphrodite started cheerfully, pretending to be happy. "I see you and Chief Brandon are making a great… _couple_." _A very… great… couple…_ She thought angrily.

"W-What? No no! It's not like that! I was just…" Sarah blushed and rubbed the back of her neck, trying to avoid eye contact.

"Tomato!" Someone shouted from afar.

Aphrodite and Sarah turned to see Anna, pulling an excited Elsa who was pointing at Sarah. "Hey, Mum! How are you? Got to go! See ya!" Anna waved and then started pulling a happy Elsa away and they went on their way.

Aphrodite smiled, "See? Even the princess, agree." She looked at Sarah.

Sarah was still looking at the two sisters. "U-Uh… Y-Yeah…" She turned to face Leanna and lowered her head, feeling embarrassed.

"You know, Sarah. You're still young and I just want the best for you. So I'm gonna give you some personal advice." Aphrodite rubbed her chin, trying to act as if she was thinking of a real advice.

"A-An advice?"

"Yes!" Aphrodite wrapped an arm around Sarah's shoulder. "You see… Sometimes men act like…" She turned her head a bit towards Brandon, "IDIOTS." She said but made sure to shout the word _Idiots_ enough for Brandon to hear.

Brandon rolled his eyes at how childish Aphrodite was being. _Very mature, Aphrodite._

"And sometimes women too!" Aphrodite continued. "But I'll tell you something for your own good, sweetheart." The queen leaned to Sarah and whispered in her ear, "I am a healer and you already know that. And well… I already… Checked everyone's health here, and well… Chief Brandon's _health_… let's say… is not doing well." Aphrodite acted disconsolate while pouting.

"Uhm… No?" Sarah was confused.

Aphrodite leaned to Sarah's ear again, "It turns out he has a _disease_." She lied.

"A-A disease!?" Sarah whispered back in shock.

"Aha. A disease in… you know where." Aphrodite's brought her irises down, trying to make Sarah understand.

"Are you serious!?" Sarah's eyes were wide and she was horrified. She didn't want to do_ any_ business with Chief Brandon anymore.

Aphrodite's mischievous smile fell back into a dead serious and cold face. "Did _I_, Leanna, ever joke?" She glowered right into Sarah's eyes.

Sarah gulped nervously, "N-N-No…?"

"Good!" Aphrodite was cheerful again. "Now go along, darling. Go back to your fields and stay away from bad adult and ill men." Aphrodite started shooing Sarah and pushing her towards the direction of the fields.

Sarah turned one last time to face Leanna, "Thank you for warning me. Maybe there is more to Leanna then they say." Sarah smiled sweetly.

Aphrodite smiled back, trying her best not to punch her right in the face. "Aha… Don't mention it." She gritted her teeth hard behind her sealed smiling lips.

Sarah waved goodbye then turned and left.

_Now…_ Aphrodite VERY slowly turned to face Brandon, putting on the deadliest glare she could master.

"Oh boy. Here comes trouble." Jeff said, and winked towards Brandon.

_Yeah, no kidding!_ Brandon's eyes widened and he gulped fearfully, feeling his sweat forming.

Aphrodite approached him, her back straight as an arrow. When she was right in front of him she looked like she was trying to pierce his head with her green emerald eyes. "Brandon…?" Oh her teeth would have broken with her gritting like that.

"Aphrodite…?" Brandon mimicked her tone of voice.

"I see you were _enjoying_ your little _meeting_ with Sarah." Aphrodite crossed her arms.

"U-Uh… No. We were just talking!" Brandon lifted his arms defensively.

"Just _talking_ with half her _boobs_ out!" Aphrodite angrily reminded, her posture no longer the graceful one.

"S-She might have just worn the wrong size of a dress." Brandon awkwardly joked.

"She was all over you!" Aphrodite finally yelled.

"Why do you care?!" Brandon glared playfully at her, leaning down a bit to meet her eye level.

"I don't!" Aphrodite lied.

"Ohhhhh… I see…" Brandon teased, "It looks to me that Aphrodootifrootie is—" he tapped her nose, "Jealous!"

Aphrodite gasped aloud and slapped his hand away, "Aphro— WHAT now?!" She groaned in rage, glaring swords at him. "I am NOT!" She staggered, blushing hard.

"You totally are!" Brandon pointed at her face and laughed. He just reveled in teasing her.

Aphrodite groaned again in irritation, "Idiot!" She punched his shoulder hard.

Brandon laughed placing one hand on his hip, "_You_ are idiot." He grabbed her hood with his other hand and pulled it all the way down over her entire face, glaring playfully at her and knowing how much it irritated her for him to do that.

Aphrodite was furious. She pushed his hand away and fixed her hood back up.

They both then glared at each other with Aphrodite gritting her teeth and Brandon smiling.

Some people around started to watch them and gave them weird looks.

Brandon looked at her piercing green eyes that shone with rage. He smiled fondly, "You are special."

Aphrodite's eyes widened and her face couldn't get any redder. She was completely taken aback and she quickly straightened her back and crossed her arms, frowning childishly and turning her face away from him, "And you are still an idiot… _Branny_." She stubbornly said, her anger actually dissipating for knowing she was special to Brandon.

Brandon chuckled, "I guess I deserve that. But still… Some women just can't resist my natural handsome charms." He puffed his chest and flexed his muscles.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes in frustration, "Hmph!" She gave him one last glare, turned, and then started walking away.

Brandon gazed at her back and smiled fondly. He laughed to himself one last time and shook his head in amusement at her. _Queen Aphrodite of Arendelle… you never fail to amaze me. _He turned and went on his own way.

If only he'd seen her stop and turn to look at him one last time and smile tenderly back.

Aphrodite smiled shyly a bit then her thoughts got distracted when she noticed how the sky was grey.

_Looks like a storm is coming._

* * *

Later that night…

The wind howled as rain battered the windows of the fort in the dead of the night. The cracking sound of the thunder was everywhere, and from the dark clouds lightning struck here and there, lighting up the nocturnal sky for a second before shying away and vanishing.

Everyone was asleep except for a few guild members that stayed up all night to guard the halls of the fort.

On the west wing, a young man, Dave, was charged to stay on watch for any intruders. He was nervous and on full guard. He had never liked thunder when he was a child and never would. He paced the halls back and forth, completely lost in his own thoughts.

_I can't believe I finally got charged to watch over the west wing! _

Excited as he was, he kept himself on full alert.

Lightning flashes provided the only dim light on the somber hall that Dave strolled. He jumped in his place as the explosion of thunder echoed.

_Stupid storm… Looks like summer's over._

He put his hands in his pocket, hoping that he would keep them warm, and then continued walking next to the wall.

He felt uneasy and uncomfortable all of a sudden, feeling that he was being watched by some dark presence. _That's very… creepy._ He looked around just to make sure but no one was there.

"Hmph…" He shrugged his shoulders and continued walking.

Suddenly… a whisper.

Startled, Dave quickly turned, his eyes wide and his sword unsheathed. "Hello?!... Who's there?"

"No Hope." A cold and heartless voice said.

Dave groaned in irritation, "Show yourself!"

He could see that there was someone hiding in the shadows.

"No Love." The voice was enigmatic and dark, deprived from any happiness or joy. Just… Empty.

So empty, it sent shivers down his spine.

"I said show yourself!" He pointed his now shaky sword towards the corner where the figure stood.

After a moment, the figure stepped out and lightning struck, revealing its identity.

"O-Oh!" Dave blushed, "it's you…" He smiled shyly, but the person in front of him stayed neutral; eyes closed.

"I-I'm sorry about the sword…" He started putting his sword back in his sheath and didn't notice the person approaching him slowly.

"I just thought it was some intruder or something." He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

The person stopped three meters away from him.

"You know it's quite the honor—"

The person's eyelids lifted quickly.

"H-Holy… s-s-shit!" Dave cried out and staggered backwards, stumbling and falling down on his back.

"No light."

"Y-Your… Your eyes!" He pointed at the intruder's face with a shaky finger. "They're… t-they're shining!"

The invader looked down at its victim with lifeless eyes, betraying no emotion.

"No joy."

All of a sudden Dave's eyes shot wide and he quickly clutched his stomach and started squirming on the ground in pain. "Ahhh! W-What… What have you done to m—" His sentence was stolen from his mouth when all of a sudden he started vomiting blood.

The person simply stood watching, unshaken by the horrific scene and strangely… just standing!

_Dark . . . Magic!_ Dave thought.

Dave could feel an unbelievable agony eat away his insides. He collapsed to the ground, choking for air, liquid of the color of death leaking from the corner of his mouth. "H-… H-Help…" He barely managed to whisper, trying to crawl towards his enemy… This monstrosity. "AHHH!" Another more torturous pain hit his heart and he couldn't help but shriek aloud and thrash violently on the ground, trying to ease his torture. He felt as if his inners were being ripped to shreds and his body turning cold. He tried to snatch at the person's leg but he couldn't reach it.

The storm outside raged and raged, the mischievous thunder laughing at him and giving him no chance to be heard.

"No justice."

_Please . . . I have. . . to warn them!. . . They have . . . to know! Everyone . . . _He gasped for air. _Is in danger!_

He stared at his trembling hand and realized that his vision was getting blurry. _They have to—_ He crawled and crawled and crawled, extending his hand forward to try and grab his opponent's leg but…

He felt a piercing pain in his heart again, almost as if the lightning itself outside hit him. He started screaming manically, black lines crawled over his neck like veins.

A lightning strike flashed, answering the man's shrieks with loud roars of low thunder and silencing his useless and desperate cries of help.

_It's . . . Her . . . It's the—_

The young man's body suddenly went limp… Silence following. The only sound heard was the angry needles of rain on the windows and the evil laughter of thunder.

A motionless male body decorated the floor like a rug, twitching in its place. His pale face was violently bare as his wide lifeless eyes stared out at nowhere, blood leaking from them and from his mouth, nose and ears, giving at least some color to his dead skin.

The picture of death.

Thunder roared and lightning flashed again, revealing a psychotic smirk on a pale woman's face, her bloodthirsty eyes with pinpoint pupils shining with the color of a tropical sea, and her clenched hands shook with excitement and pleasure. She stood above her prey, staring down in delight and licking her trembling grinning lips.

The picture of pure Evil.

"No mercy."

The picture of…

A monster.

* * *

**I want to dedicate this chapter to my close friend Loridhhp who had a colonoscopy yesterday and who was going through a lot of back pain and fibromyalgia agony. Hopefully this will cheer her up and put a smile on her face :) Get well soon, Lori!**

**As for the update: I'm SOOOOOOOOOO sorry It's been a long time but I've been stuck on how I will continue the plot line and how to link scenes and all. Phew… this chapter exhausted me!**

**As an update on my personal life: Things have been going a better now :) and I'm finally gaining my life back. :D**

**As for those who sent me messages, trying to cheer me up or check on me and ask if I was okay…**

**I LOVE YOU! :D**

**You have no idea how awesome and kind you people are. You made a broken girl so happy! :D I was able to reply to some and for some I couldn't since there was A LOT of messages :P**

**Things from here will start getting feisty in The Ice Behind Bars, so stay tuned ;) I'll try my best to update soon! :D**

**Remember to check my deviantart Lany19 if you wanna see how a better version of Aiden and Tyler look like :) I've been doing well in digital art for a beginner xD**

**As for Brandon I'll draw him and color him and you'll see him next time :)**


	46. An Eerie Kingdom

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter XLVI: An Eerie Kingdom

"Dead…" She said with cautious disbelief.

The healers tensely shifted in their places. "Yes, Ma'am." Waella confirmed while folding her hands in front of her and trying to avoid eye contact from her superior.

Many healers were standing in front of their leader, Leanna. They didn't know who would be the one to inform her of the bad news. They were all scared of her reaction. Luckily, Waella—since she's Leanna's right hand— decided to take the roll of the courier.

"You're saying… That you found, Dave—" She paused for a moment, staring at the nervous healers in front of her, "_Young_ Dave! Dead… In the middle of the hallway…" Aphrodite repeated Waella's words, trying not to believe any.

Brandon watched from the corner of the room while folding his hands and leaning to the wall. He already had received the news from one of the thieves. A few minutes ago Waella and the other healers had come to him, asking him to come along when they wanted to tell Dear old—… or Dear cold Leanna, the news. _Stay calm, Aphrodite. _He hoped. He knew this news would wreck the queen's thoughts of security. He knew that she wanted her daughters' safety above anything.

Waella lowered her head and sighed, "It is true, Ma'am. The boy's body was found flat on the floor. Dead… and cold." She purposely added.

Aphrodite's eyes were wide with concern now. "When did this happen?!" She asked, her voice full of worry.

"We're guessing it happened at midnight, Ma'am." One of the healers spoke.

"Cause of death?"

The healers exchanged nervous and worried looks. Waella inhaled deeply then, "Unknown, Ma'am."

Aphrodite's eyebrows furrowed in irritation, "A stab to the stomach? A blow to the head? A slit throat?"

The healers winced at her blunt questions, "No, no and… n-no."

"Was he killed?" Aphrodite asked flatly.

"Uhm… we really don't know, Ma'am." The healers started to feel Aphrodite's vexation.

"Illness?"

"Uh… W-we don—"

"Starvation? Suffocation?! Poison?! What!? What does the autopsy say!?" Aphrodite asked and asked and flailed her hands in exasperation. She sure was losing her temper.

As always.

The room went mute for a jiffy.

"U-Uhm…" Waella finally raised her hand, asking for a permission to speak, "I think you should see for yourself." She suggested.

Aphrodite raised one eyebrow at her; curious about what was causing that entire ruckus between the healers. She looked over at Brandon for advice and he nodded for her.

Aphrodite looked back at the healers and sighed.

"Fine."

* * *

The moment he laid eyes on it for the first time, he lost his breath in a long slow gasp as he stood agape at the sight that bestowed his view.

"What in the world…" Were the only words his mouth was able to give away.

He saw some abnormalities in his young days, but this? Hell no.

Arendelle. The Frozen Town. The Grey Town more like it. It looked creepy and spooky. If anyone had ever seen it from afar they would have turned and left as quick as they could, fearing this dead cursed kingdom. It laid there amidst the snow and ice, wrapped around a greyish spooky— almost sad— atmosphere that swallowed it whole.

As he walked the streets, he found very few citizens.

The streets were empty. It was as if the kingdom was abandoned and evacuated. The only sound he could hear was the cold winds' soft howls and the creeks of the abandoned houses.

_Arendelle?... More like a ghost town to me._

The citizens were scattered in groups. A group stood around a small fire, another around the blacksmith's forge, trying desperately to find a source of warmth. Another group of stray orphaned children, barefoot, watched the armored stranger from behind the corner of a building. He turned his head when he heard coughs. He could see the dying sick who were desperately trying to clutch on to dear life. Healers? Only a few. More like one or two.

Everyone eyed him. They were all shivering from the cold, murmuring about the foreigner who was passing by.

Who would ever want to come to such a kingdom?

"Is he lost?" Tyler heard a woman whisper.

"More like lost his mind." A grumpy shivering man said, not caring if Tyler heard or not.

"P-Papa?... I-I'm cold." A little trembling boy wrapped in a blanket said, tugging at his father's leg.

Tyler could see that there were so limited citizens in the kingdom that he could have actually counted them if he wanted. _Hmph... You sure know how to torture people, Snow Queen. _The thought of Elsa put an angry and disgusted sneer on his face. _Freak._

"Give me that!" A starving boy was caught in a tug of war with a stray skinny dog over a piece of meat.

All what Tyler could see in their eyes were misery, hardship, despair and even fear. Not a single drop of hope.

_Is _this_ the famous and mighty kingdom of Arendelle?_ He thought in shock—mostly sarcastic. "I wonder what the king's doing by sitting on his thro—" The words got stuck in his throat, nearly choking him, as he watched, bug-eyed in horror at the sight in front of him.

Gallows stood tall and proud in front of him, decorated with four hanged corpses. Three men and a woman. One of the men was burnt whole too. Dark crows, black as night, picked at their wide lifeless eyes and cawed at the feast, celebrating their banquet.

Agape, he was able to utter some words, "my, my… "

"Our king sure is generous." He suddenly heard an old man's voice.

Tyler turned to the left and saw an old man standing next to him, his hands folded behind his slightly hunched back and his head turned to the hanged bodies, watching them as they swayed softly back and forth with the wind, producing sounds of a creaking rope.

"For crows, more likely." Tyler replied and turned his head back to the bodies.

"Well said, stranger… Well said."

Tyler eyed the only burnt corpse.

"All he asked for was warmth." The old man explained, referring to the burnt corpse. "The king detested his attitude."

"So he set him on fire?" Tyler asked in disbelief.

The old man nodded. "A mad king has no boundaries. This poor fellow was greedy. He wanted more warmth." He sighed, "Give a man a match, and he'll be warm for a minute, but set him on fire, and his corpse will stay cold for eternity."

Tyler's eyebrows furrowed, "Weird how the world works." He deadpanned.

"'Weird' is an understatement. For the universe's craft is not weird, but it's simply shrewd."

"How so?" Tyler folded his hands.

"It seeks balance. Equilibrium." The old man lifted his shaky hand and pointed at the corpses. "A man or a woman might have lost a spouse, but a crow has gained a meal in return, thus gaining a life."

"You call that balance?" Tyler was irritated. What? A man's death for a stupid crow's life?

"To the universe it is. To us… It's injustice. But why you might ask?" He lifted an eyebrow at Tyler. "It's because we always see everything below us… Us humans. We say that a human worth more than any animal or plant. But to the universe we are all equal. Every living being is born differently yet when we die, everyone and everything turn to dust."

"True. And Kings seek balance for their kingdom." Tyler reminded.

The old man lowered his head, "That is only a myth." He turned away from the gallows and started walking away. "A king seeks only madness."

Tyler watched him go, curious in the man's words. "Wait!"

The old man in a grey robe stopped but didn't turn.

"Who are you?"

The old man smiled. He turned to face Tyler, "I am no one."

Tyler tilted his head a bit in confusion.

The man pointed at the dangling burnt corpse, "Just watch the crows, Stranger. After that, just leave this place before it's your turn."

_What?_ Tyler turned at the crows for a brief moment, "But at least tell me your nam—"

But the old man vanished, nowhere to be seen.

_What in the world…?_ Tyler was bewildered and shocked. "Strange man…" He said to himself, looking around. "Hmph…" He looked at the burnt corpse one more time then turned and walked away, heading to the hell realm… to the castle of Arendelle.

* * *

Anna held a troubled Elsa's hands. "Don't worry, Elsa. I know everything is stressed out here. But there's nothing wrong. Believe me. You are safe." She then proceeded on hugging her and Elsa reluctantly hugged back.

Anna and Rapunzel and the others had already received the news about the horrible incident of young Dave's death. It was a huge shock for them, especially that the cause of his death was unknown. The entire fort went into havoc by hearing this news. But Anna and her friends decided not to tell Elsa and add more worry and concern to what she already had.

But Elsa was no idiot. She had heard everyone's whispers and murmuring, and it had turned her stomach to knots.

"Anna…" Elsa squeezed Anna more, worried for the red-head's life.

"I'll be fine, Elsa. I promise. They just need me and Rapunzel to help them out with some things okay?" Anna soothed. "Meanwhile, you'll spend time with, Bulda! And even Aiden will stay with you for protection!" She said happily, trying to cheer the pale blonde and pointing at Aiden.

Elsa usually would have freaked out with Anna leaving her side. But she trusted Bulda. She was the first person to ever give her a real gift!

Elsa's eyes went to the blue rose on the table. She placed her chin on Anna's shoulder and pouted a bit, "Okay."

"Here you go! See? Everything's fine. _you_'ll be fine. You'll have a lot of fun with Bulda. You also love flowers! You'll just help her out with her garden!" Anna encouraged and broke the hug, leaving her hands on Elsa's shoulders and locking her blue-grey eyes with Elsa's cyan ones.

"Now go on. Aiden will take you to Bulda and he'll stay on guard for you."

Rapunzel elbowed Aiden and winked at him, but he only rolled his eyes.

"I promise you he is very sweet and would never hurt you. Isn't that right, Aiden?" Both Anna and Elsa turned to look at him.

Aiden blushed seeing the innocent look on Elsa's face. She was just so cute.

"Of course! I promise on my very life that I won't let anyone hurt you, Elsa. You can count on me." He pointed at himself and smiled awkwardly and sweetly, trying his best not to look big and intimidating.

Elsa eyed him… She heard those words before.

* * *

"_Don't worry, Anna! I won't let Papa hurt you again." Little Elsa cheered as she wiped away Little Anna's tears._

"_B-But Elsa…" Anna tried to say but a sob from her mouth stopped her. _

_They were both hiding in that secret spot where their mother had always hid them when their father was enraged. _

"_She'll never be fit to be the heir!" An enraged king yelled._

"_She's a child! S-She's still learning, Jamie!" Their mother's fearful voice defended._

_They sat there, listening to their parents' fight and the horrible thuds that accompanied their mother's yelp. "I-I'm scared, Elsa! I tried to do as Papa said but I'm clumsy and stupid! He hates me! He said I can never rule when I grow up!"_

_Elsa quickly wrapped her little scared sister in a hug. "It's okay…" She was worried for her little sister. She knew she herself could never be a queen since her father despised her and never acknowledged her as his actual heir or first daughter. Since all what he wanted from Elsa, was for her to control her powers no matter what. "Here, Anna… take Potata." Elsa handed Anna her very own favorite doll, then hugged her back. "I promise on my very life that I won't let anyone hurt you, Anna. You can count on me."_

* * *

Elsa averted her eyes and looked at the ground. She gulped and gave a small nod, "Okay."

Aiden's heart fluttered._ She accepted!?_

"Great!" Anna clapped her hands together. "Now I'll leave you in Aiden's hands and go with Rapunzel. We sure have a lot of work to do. Kristoff and Flynn are already helping the rangers look around the fort for—…f- for some stuff." She didn't want to raise Elsa's suspicions about the incident of Dave. "As for Rapunzel and I, we are assigned to ask the villagers some questions."

_Aiden's hands… He wishes that more than anything._ Rapunzel tried not to laugh and received a frown from Aiden. She shrugged and gave a sly smile.

_Yeah right._ Aiden thought.

"Well… See ya two!" Anna waved and walked away from Elsa, heading to the door with Rapunzel.

Elsa's heart beat faster and she tried to lift her hand to grab Anna's arm to beg her to stay, but she quickly retreated it behind her back and lowered her head.

What were left in the room were a really huge muscular tall man and a young scared, weak and skinny woman.

Aiden stood stiffly. "Uhhh…" he muttered, then, "So… Shall we go?" He asked nervously, rubbing the back of his neck.

Elsa swallowed hard and tried to control her shaking breath. She nodded quickly but stayed put in her place.

Aiden's eyes widened as he realized he was standing at the door. "Oh, right! Sorry." He facepalmed. "I'll just uhh… move… and give you your space." He started to back away and around Elsa, trying his best to keep his distance from her so she could stay comfortable, eyeing her and not where he was stepping.

He stumbled with a chair, "Oops, sorry!" And another. "Sorry." He smiled awkwardly pushing the chairs away from his way, "I'm very sorr—Ah!" He fell on the ground as he slipped on something.

Elsa's eyes widened and she stared at him in shock… and honestly with worry.

"Are you okay!?" She called out, stepping on the tip of her toes and tilting her head a bit to try and see him.

Aiden groaned. "Ugh… I'm… I-I'm okay." He pushed the chairs off him and sat up, rubbing his head. "Haha." He gave Elsa a reassuring awkward smile and then a thumb up.

Elsa smiled nervously and gracelessly back.

Aiden shook his head in amusement at his stupidity. _This is gonna be a lonnnng day._ "So… To Bulda's?"

"To Bulda's."

* * *

Aphrodite stared with wide eyes at the body in front of her that lay on the table nude and covered with nothing but a white sheet.

_Great God in heaven… _Aphrodite stared at Dave's corpse in utter disbelief. His skin was pale yet flawless. No cuts. No stabs. No wounds. But the thing that horrified Aphrodite was that his entire body was crawling with visible black veins.

She leaned her hand and touched his arm with the tip of her fingers, feeling the chill that ran through her spine because of how cold he was.

His eyes?

"They're crystalized…!" She said to herself in utter astonishment.

Dave's lifeless eyes were solid pale blue crystals. No pupils. No iris.

As for his hair, it was no longer dark brown, but pure white.

"Some are saying he might have had some illness." Waella noted.

"That's no illness." Aphrodite said, biting her nail.

Waella exchanged worried and nervous looks with the other healers, knowing very well where they were all going. "Uhm… O-Others are saying he was cursed by some demon or bad spirit… An omen." She said, her voice getting more and more anxious.

"Not possible." Aphrodite disagreed.

Okay… Now there was no way out for Waella and the other healers. They knew they should have just come out and say it. But who would dare say it to Leanna?

Waella nodded to the other healers in agreement. "L-Leanna… I think…"

Aphrodite's fist clenched, knowing very well what they were going to suggest… Whom they were going to accuse.

"Some are saying it's the ice princ—"

Aphrodite's fist smashed the table, silencing everyone in the room. Her fury definitely shown with the strength she used to hit the table.

The healers quickly lowered their heads, not daring to look her in the eye. They knew how much Leanna strangely cared for the princess.

"If anyone of you dare say that again, I will make sure to shut you up with one of these." Aphrodite slightly tapped a hammer on the table, "But I'm afraid it might kill you." She said through her gritted teeth.

Everyone gulped nervously. No one wanted to mess with Leanna, nor argue with her.

Never piss a mama bear. Brandon sure knew that more than anyone.

Aphrodite closed her eyes. "It's NOT the princess's fault." She adamantly vindicated, her voice strong and confident, stating an indisputable belief.

She sighed, placing a hand over her face with the other on the table. "Let me perform the autopsy myself before you all start condemning someone innocent."

The healers reluctantly agreed. They started getting out of the room, giving Leanna her space to calm down.

Aphrodite removed her hand from over her eyes and lifted her head to see Brandon giving her a reassuring smile. She couldn't help but smile kindly and thankfully back.

Brandon stood at the door, waving goodbye and giving her that sweet gentle smile that she loved so much.

Wait what? Aphrodite quickly shook her head to focus her thoughts on her work. She turned to the corpse and started preparing her tools.

Brandon smiled one last time at her before he finally turned and left, closing the door behind him.

* * *

All that he could do was stare at his cold hands that were blue from frostbite.

_I will… kill you…_ The king thought, gritting his teeth so hard they could have shattered. He was trying his very best to stop his hysterical trembling. _I'll find you and kill you. You… Monster… _

He stood at the window of his office, listening to the howls of the wind outside and the pops of the wood from the fireplace. Two servants were trying to maintain the fire in the chimney as ordered by their king. One adding wood and the other poking the fire to keep it alive and burning.

Jamie heard the door open then close. A few footsteps then…

"Your Grace," The Steward said.

Jamie sighed, "What is it?"

The steward flinched a bit at the king's tone of voice. It held rage beyond imagination yet it was calm and collected.

_I have to kill her! I have to kill her! I'll show her… When I get my hands on her she'll wish for death itself._

The steward coughed a bit then folded his hands behind his back, "Reporting for—"

"Is it another damn cow that died? Or the crops that withered?" The king cut him off, his face to the window.

_I'll slice every part of her body if I have to._

The steward swallowed, "Y-Yes, your excellency. The farmers are complaining about the dead crops and the cold that is destroying their entire field."

"Then tell them to butcher all of their cattle and stuff their damn hungry mouths with some meat." Jamie snarled.

"Your Grace… Our entire livestock is dead. The Snow Queen… She… Her storm killed—"

"The Snow Queen will die by my own hands but not before I punish the hell out of her soul." Jamie said through gritted teeth. He clenched his frostbitten hands, ignoring the piercing pain.

_Just you wait, Elsa… Just you wait, you filth. I WILL find you if it's the last thing I do._

His face created a sneer full of revulsion just by the thought of his older daughter.

"Uhm… Your Grace?" The steward brought Jamie back from his thoughts.

Jamie inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself, "No news from the troops I sent?"

"Unfortunately, no, Your Grace. They search everywhere but they couldn't find any clue of her whereabouts."

"Then KEEP searching!" Jamie suddenly turned and smashed his fist on his desk, glaring at the steward.

The servants who were tending to the fire quickly looked away and lowered their heads, trying not to get involved with the king's wrath.

"Search every mountain! Every kingdom! Every village!" He flailed his hands angrily, "Search every house and kill anyone who refuses to help if you have to! FIND HER! Find that witch and bring her to me alive! I want to kill her myself and see her blood spill all over this room!" He grabbed the quill bottle and threw it with all his might at the steward yet luckily, the poor lad dodged it, and it went shattering on the wall, splattering ink everywhere and staining the ground.

The king's harsh words sent shivers down everyone's spine. Even the air felt thicker and heavier now.

He was trembling, no longer from the cold but from rage. His crazy eyes were wide with fury. He no longer looked like a posed King, but a bloodthirsty psychopath.

_I'll kill her… I'll kill her!... I'll kill her…_

* * *

"So we've asked so many people and still… EVERYONE knows nothing!" Anna flailed her hands in frustration.

"Calm down, Fiesty Pants. The villagers wouldn't know anything anyway if it was some intruder. He wouldn't just reveal himself to them and say: Oh hey! I just killed one of your thieves! See ya!" Rapunzel mimicked a man's voice.

"Ha. Ha. But…what if it was one of _them_?" Anna suggested then leaned to Rapunzel's ear. "The villagers." She whispered.

Rapunzel pushed her off, "I doubt that. Why would they even harm us if we're giving them shelter, Anna?" The blonde asked.

"Hmmm…" Anna pursed her lips, "True."

"Anna! Rapunzel!" Flynn's voice called and it didn't look happy.

The two girls turned, "Flynn?!"

Flynn ran towards them, panting. There was concern on his face.

"What's wrong, Flynn?" Anna asked, starting to get uneasy.

"It's Louis… The cook." He took a deep breath, "He was found dead in the kitchen… Just like Dave."

Anna's jaw opened slightly, "What?" She whispered.

* * *

**We are nearing the end a bit guys so stay tuned.**

**Btw check out my deviant art I added more fan arts to the fanfic.**

**See ya in three days! :D**

**And I've been a bit depressed lately so I'm very sorry for the VERY delayed update :S**


	47. A Birthday Gift

The Ice Behind Bars  
Chapter XLVII : A Birthday Gift

_She found herself in the castle's halls._

No… No, no! I can't be here! How did I get here?! _Terrified, The Silenced Queen darted her eyes around the familiar walls of the dark castle of Arendelle. She tried her best not to panic. All those walls brought back memories… Painful memories. Her fear blinded her from the fact that everything around her was abnormal._

_It was dark and the moon was her only source of light. The halls were unnaturally quiet. The floor was covered in fog so thick, that she couldn't even see her feet. The paintings that were rotated randomly were not only on the wall, but on the ceiling too._

"_Mama?"_

_Aphrodite suddenly heard. It was a familiar voice. A very familiar voice. The voice of her little daughter woke her up from her fright. She slowly lifted her head to look around and focus, "E-El… Elsa?" She called out._

_At the end of the hall, at the corner, she saw her. A little tiny girl with platinum hair and a blue dress._

"_Elsa!" Aphrodite exclaimed happily._

_Elsa smiled softly, her hands behind her back. "Follow me, Mama." Aphrodite didn't care that her daughter's voice was… unnatural… Like that of a ghost._

_Elsa then ran quickly through the other hall, giggling._

"_Wait!" Aphrodite lifted her hand to try to stop her but it was too late. She started to run and rushed to try and catch up to her. Concern was all over her face. She turned around the corner and realized that Elsa was gone. "Elsa?! Sweetheart, where are you?!"_

"_Over here, mama!" Elsa's voice called out excitedly._

What's going on?! _Aphrodite was utterly confused. But she wanted her daughter. She wanted to stay with her daughter and keep her safe. All that guilt she had? She wanted it out. _I don't wanna lose you again! I don't wanna lose you!

"_This w_aaa_y!"_ _Elsa teasingly encouraged._

_Aphrodite followed the voice down the hall, ignoring all the deformed doors on each side. "Elsa! Stop! Wait for me, sweetheart!" She was really worried now. _

_She saw a glimpse of Elsa's platinum hair disappear behind a room with a huge metal door. When she reached the door, Aphrodite stopped in her tracks to rest a bit. Sweat rushed to meet her skin while she panted heavily, her hands on her knees and her eyes on the floor._ _"For a girl . . . your age . . . You sure are . . . fast." When she lifted her eyes to look up, they went wide._

_The metal door stood there, thick and strong. She knew that such a door could only be there to seal a huge dangerous beast. But why would Elsa get in there then?_

"_Elsa…?" Aphrodite gulped and slowly opened the door. She had to use most of her strength to just open this big handle. The door creaked so loudly, that Aphrodite had to wince. It sent echoes all over the castle, and the queen could have sworn that the ground shook. "Elsa?" She called out again, seeing nothing but pitch black inside. Her eyes slightly widened when she heard soft sobs and whimpers. "Elsa… it's me, baby, don't be scared."_

_Then she saw her._

_Little Elsa sat there crying at the end of the cellar of cobblestone walls, her knees to her chest and her back to her mum._

"_Oh sweetheart, come here." Aphrodite slowly entered the cellar, approaching Elsa cautiously for some reason. On her way, Aphrodite couldn't help but gulp nervously, "Elsa… Sweetheart? Can you turn around and look at your mommy, snowflake?"_

_But Elsa only let out a sob._

_Aphrodite was getting closer and closer… and closer._

BAM!

_The queen jumped in her place as the metal door behind her slammed shut. _

"_E-Elsa…?!" Fear was growing all over her body, but something just kept pulling her towards her daughter without stopping._

_Closer… and closer she was getting…_

_Until…_

_The queen put her hand on her child's shoulder to turn her around. And when she did…_

_Aphrodite's eyes widened slightly when she saw that it was none other than her little daughter crying with fear. "Oh baby, it's okay. Shhhh… It's okay." Aphrodite brought Elsa to her chest and hugged her tightly. "I'm here."_

_Elsa sniffled, "It was so dark, mommy… I was—" She sniffled again, "So scared and alone in here."_

In here? _Aphrodite hugged Elsa tighter, trying her best to hold back her tears._

"_Daddy was mean, mommy!" Elsa cried. "He was very mean."_

"_I know!... oh trust me I know, baby!" Aphrodite just couldn't help it. The guilt was too big… Enormous even. "I k-know." She rested her cheek on her daughter's platinum hair._

_All of a sudden a whisper interrupted the royals' bonding moment. Aphrodite darted her head around the dark cellar, hugging Elsa harder to her chest protectively. "Who's there!?" The queen shouted, trying her best to sound intimidating and confident, knowing that on the inside, she was the exact opposite._

_The queen heard more whispers, and it sent shivers down her spine, realizing that the voice was coming from nothing but the walls._

"_Mommy, what's going on?" Elsa fearfully asked._

"_Shh!" But Aphrodite stopped her. "I said, who's there?!" She shouted._

_The voice suddenly multiplied into a cacophony of booming demonic sounds. Low pitch. High pitch. A child. A woman. Shouting men. Crying infant. _

_Aphrodite tried her best to close her ears, desperately struggling to cradle Elsa against this supernatural ambience. _What's happening?!_ The queen's ears hurt like hell._

Cold!_ A raspy voice shouted._ Scared! Murder! Wrong!

_The voices continued to shout in Aphrodite's ears so loud that she couldn't help but grimace and squeeze her eyes tight, trying to endure the pain in her head and ears. "Elsa, stay behind me!" She quickly pushed Elsa behind her, trying to shield her._

No daughter! Guilty! Pain! Careful!

"_What do you want!?" Aphrodite shouted to no one._

Rage! Freedom! Death!_ The cellar shook violently._

_Elsa started to scream from the pain in her ears._

"_Leave me alone! Leave _my_ daughter alone!" Aphrodite worriedly demanded, keeping her eyes shut._

Not my daughter! Not my daughter!_ This time it was echoes of Jamie's own voice, albeit it was accompanied by many other tones, almost as if Aphrodite was surrounded by blaring wisps._

Not my daughter! Not my daughter! Not!… _your!_… daughteeeerr!

"_Enouuugh!" Aphrodite screamed at the top of her lungs, and suddenly…_

_Utter Silence… And darkness._

_There was no source of light at all._

_Aphrodite could only hear her heavy breathing. She didn't dare open her eyes and see what was happening around her, despite the fact that the room was utterly silent… even her daughter._

_Suddenly, a cyan light silently started to grow slowly, hovering midair in the center of the cellar._

_Aphrodite started to hear the soft sounds of an aura._

_She blinked a bit and slowly opened one eye to inspect her surrounding, but the moment she saw the woman in front of her, her eyes grew wide open._

"_What…" Her voice was barely a whisper._

_A woman… No… That thing wasn't human. She just didn't know. All she knew was that there was a young, stunning and beautiful woman hovering in front of her like a ghost, surrounded by a blue and white aura that softly illuminated the room. As for the woman, everything about her was white. Her hair, her skin, her glowing eyes. Despite her beauty, her white robe was a mess. Shredded and ripped here and there. Her hair was so long, it reached her legs, and some strands hovered in the air._

_When the woman descended and landed gently on the ground, blue roses grew from the cracks of the cobblestones around her feet, blooming beautifully._

"_Wha… What are you…?" Aphrodite asked while gazing at the woman in front of her._

_The woman stared at the queen with a sad face almost… concerned?_

_Aphrodite's eyes went wide with horror when she sensed that Elsa wasn't behind her anymore. "Elsa?!" She quickly turned around and searched, but Elsa was gone. "Elsa!" The mother searched like a lunatic. "Where is she?! Where's my daughter!?" She turned back to the woman and yelled at her. "What did you do to her?! Tell me!"_

_The woman's red lips started to move. _You might be cold and harsh outside, but you're only scared and sad inside. _Her voice was sweet and smooth as silk, and as soothing to the tongue as chocolate. It was hauntingly pure and it echoed gently around them._

"_W... W-What?" Aphrodite was taken aback._

Two daughters you have but one split in two._ The woman in white held one finger up. _That makes them three, if you only knew.

"_You're not making any sen—!"_

"_Mama!" Elsa's scared voice suddenly shouted._

_Aphrodite turned around and saw Elsa right behind her, hiding and tugging at her mother's robe. "Elsa! Where were you!? You got me worried sick!"_

"_I'm sorry!" Elsa lowered her head in shame, tears forming at the corner of her eyes._

_The woman in white glared at the child._

The one you're seeing is not your daughter  
Let her roam free, and she'll only slaughter

_Aphrodite groaned in irritation and quickly turned around, lifting a finger at the woman. Mama bear mode: Active._

"_Listen, you bitch! My daughter's not a murderer! Do you hear me!?" She carelessly yelled. "I don't care what woman or spirit or… a-a pile of smoke you are, so don't you dare accuse my daughter of such a thing!"_

_The woman only kept glaring at Elsa, and Aphrodite could sense the woman's growing anger._

Tortured, starved, punished by a king! _She pointed an accusing finger right at Elsa and yelled : _Pain, Misery, Fear she'll bring!

"_Why you…" Aphrodite snarled._

_The woman looked at the queen with determination._ If you don't stop her, she won't hesitate._ Then scowled at Elsa. _The things she went through she will imitate.

_Aphrodite shook her head, "Just stop this! Elsa would never hurt anyone! She's innocent!"_

_The woman shook her head._

One she was, but now she's two  
One full of rage and the other's blue

"_One full of rage… other bl—Ah! You're not making any sense, dammit!" Aphrodite yelled in frustration and clenched her fists._

_The woman in white's glare turned into a sorrowful face. The roses around the cellar started to wither._

The Blue one cries over every sin  
While the other bares a callous grin

_Aphrodite's eyes went all wide with shock. Something hard and cold hit her in the back. She was frozen with disbelief. Blood came down from her nose and the corner of her lips. She trembled as she slowly turned her head to look from over her shoulder, all bug-eyed. "El… s-sa…?!"_

_Aphrodite had a knife impaled in her back, but what shocked her most was that the knife's owner was none other than her little girl, Elsa, who stood behind her squeezing the knife more into her mother's back, a wide sadistic smirk on her face._

Too hollow, too dark, shining eyes will emerge  
Too deep, too red, blood is her urge

"_W-Why…?" Aphrodite asked in utter disbelief as she stared at her daughter's glowing bloodthirsty cyan eyes. _

"_Everyone should pay…" Elsa repeated with a maniac smirk, her pin-point iris staring at the blood oozing from her mother's back. "You will _allll _pay."_

_She looked like a complete sadistic psychopath. The innocent cyan eyes were no longer present at all. They were transformed into eyes full of hate, anger and insanity._

_Tears fell down from Aphrodite's face. Tears of disbelief? Of shock? Of Fear? No._

_But of guilt._

_What she was seeing was the results of hers and her husband's mistake._

"_Everyone." Elsa promised one last time before she pulled the knife violently out of her mother's back, making her collapse to her trembling knees._

Too late you are, and too late you'll be

_The woman sadly said. Aphrodite's vision blurred and she started to sway._

Back behind bars, she'll never be free.

_Aphrodite's body hit the floor, all limp and cold, her face bare and her hollow eyes wide._

* * *

Aphrodite jolted slightly as she woke up. She was sitting on a chair and hunched forward, sleeping on the table with her hands beneath her cheek. Call it Exhaustion and Sleep Deprivation. She sighed and tried to rub the sleep from her eye.

"Bad dream?" A familiar voice said.

Aphrodite nodded tiredly and furrowed her eyebrows, feeling a headache, "Yeah…"

Brandon shook his head in amusement and chuckled slightly as he approached. "No wonder… At least I'm not the one who fell asleep next to a dead body."

Aphrodite's eyes shot wide and she quickly lifted her head and the first thing she met was a dead corpse's bare pale face.

Aphrodite gasped and jolted backwards, "Oh fu—" Falling with her chair on the floor.

Brandon burst out laughing, holding his stomach, "Oh g-god! Are you okay?!" He tried to say through his laughs.

"Ugh!… God dammit…" She groaned in irritation, trying to sit up.

"I just never knew you were a clumsy queen." Brandon teased, lifting an amused eyebrow at her.

Aphrodite finally sat up and glared at him, making him laugh harder. "Oh shut up!" She grabbed a book that had gone flying with her to the floor a moment ago, and threw it straight at Brandon's face.

"I just can't help— OOF!" The book hit Brandon right in the face and it startled him, making him stumble and fall to the ground with a rough thud.

Aphrodite smirked, "Who's the clumsy queen now, huh?!" She snickered.

Brandon lied on his back, the book over his face. "First…" He lifted a finger, "I'm not a queen…" He removed the book off his face and started to sit up, "And second…"

"You're clumsy." Aphrodite cut him off, smirking from ear to ear.

Brandon had his mouth open, and was ready to say something but since she beat him to it, he closed his mouth and rubbed his chin, "True… True…"

Aphrodite giggled, "I'm always right, aren't I?" She pointed proudly at her chest.

"_Wellll_…" Brandon teasingly said while wincing.

"Oh, shut up, you!" She waved a hand at him.

Brandon and Aphrodite started to laugh together, each one of them enjoying their sincere bonding moment.

After a minute, their laughter subdued.

"So… What was it about?" Brandon asked with a smile.

"What was?" Aphrodite asked confusingly.

"The 'bad dream'?" He made a quotation with his fingers.

Aphrodite's smile fell. Her face changed all of a sudden and became gripped with sadness. She quickly looked away and became reserved again. "It was nothing." She lied, "Just a bad dream."

To herself.

Brandon's smile fell too, sympathizing with the queen. He didn't want to push her so he decided to change the subject.

But she knew better.

"Uhm… Anything came up with the autopsy?" Brandon asked, and regretted the moment he did.

Aphrodite winced and her shoulders lifted at the question, her face now overwhelmed with sadness. "N-No…" She nervously said.

"Aphrodite…" Brandon scooched towards her and sat next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder and leaning down to look at her gloomy eyes. "Please don't lie to me… I know you're scared. But please at least tell _me_." He gently said and pointed at himself. "I promise I won't tell anyone. Whatever it is." He reassured.

Aphrodite was silent. She thought for a moment and then sighed in defeat. "Brandon…" She lowered her head.

Brandon didn't speak and allowed her to continue.

"I… I-I found… His… I-It's just that…" Aphrodite sighed again and put her hands on her face, not knowing how or where to start.

"It's alright… Go on…" Brandon encourage with a soothing voice.

Aphrodite lifted her head slowly and looked at him with teary red eyes. "Do you remember Dave?"

Brandon nodded.

"Well… I-I… His death… H-He was killed but—..." She looked totally confused, "There was no wound, Brandon. He wasn't stabbed or beaten at all! He wasn't even chocked by someone's hands or with any tool! He just… His heart, Brandon…" Her eyes slowly widened as she remembered the horror she saw.

Brandon was getting worried.

"His heart was… F-Frozen… _Slowly_ from the inside out!" She looked at him with a horrified face. "It was like a crystal, Brandon! A heart-shaped ice cube! Solid ICE!"

Brandon now knew why Aphrodite was so traumatized and was so reserved about telling the results to everyone. "But… that doesn't mean it's—"

"The same way goes for Louis, Brandon!" She cut him off and squeezed his hand. "He died the same exact way! The heart freezes slowly until it stops! Hell, the blood in their _veins_ is FROZEN!" Her tone of voice showed all the sign of anxiety, dismay, and shock.

She let go of his hand and shook her head, "No normal human being can do that, Brandon…" She kept shaking her head, "No normal human being."

Brandon understood what she was implying. But it was time to make her face the awful question. "Do you think it's El—"

"No." Her voice was cold and harsh. He knew she was back to her momma bear mode. "There's no way it was her. Elsa could never do such a horrific thing." She shook her head, "No one is going to believe me…" She said in shocked realization. "What am I gonna do?" She whispered, hugging herself, feeling her anxiety rise. _What am I gonna do?!_

Brandon saw how Aphrodite was completely lost in her thoughts as she stared at nothing. He couldn't handle seeing Aphrodite so distraught. In front of him was not a confident queen, or an emotionless healer, but only a worried mother. He had always seen her this way. But now, he wanted her to be happy. Especially on _this_ day. The poor woman needed a break so badly after all those years… Especially her children too. And _he_ was going to give it to them no matter what.

He never had a family. Never knew his parents, never had a wife or kids. All he had was this fort. No… he didn't care about that anymore. Now he had _them_. He raised Anna with Aphrodite anyway, so she's like a daughter to him. As for Elsa, he loved her like no other. Her innocence, her caring heart and her kindness were just something to admire strongly from the princess. He swore that if anyone decided to deprive those three royals—… No… _His family_… of their happiness, he would do anything to stop them.

"_I_ believe you." He smiled lovingly.

Aphrodite's turned at Brandon with a surprised face. "What…?" Did she hear it right? Or was it just a hallucination? "You do?"

Brandon nodded with a smile. "I do." He paused for a moment and blushed a bit. "I want you to be happy." He put his hand in his pocket, grabbing something. "And since today is your special day…"

Aphrodite's eyes slowly widened in realization.

"Here…" He held up a small box. "Happy birthday."

Aphrodite couldn't help but smile as she brushed away those stuck tears. "How…" She took the box from him. "How did you know it was my birthday?!" She asked in disbelief.

"Well… Let's just say Robin had a big mouth. And he used to talk _a lot_ about you." Brandon winked and leaned back putting in his hands behind him on the floor for support.

"And you listened… _carefully_." Aphrodite teased.

Brandon was taken aback. His cheeks reddened and he tried to change the subject. "U-Uh how about you open your gift?"

Aphrodite shook her head in amusement. She then proceeded to open the box. When she did… she stopped a sob from escaping by closing her mouth. Tears rushed to meet her cheeks as she stared at a necklace of a small silver sword.

She knew very well to whom this necklace belonged.

Brandon's eyes furrowed. He gulped, feeling nervous after seeing her sad face. "Y-You… You don't like it?" He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling regretful as sweat formed on his forehead.

Aphrodite shook her head.

_I thought so. _Brandon thought sadly, lowering his head in shame. "I'm sorr—"

"I love it…" Aphrodite whispered.

Brandon turned his head back at her in surprise, "You do!?"

Aphrodite nodded. "It looks exactly like the one Robin had given me when we were kids. But… How?" She looked at Brandon, not knowing how he got it. "I lost the necklace back in the storm with Jamie and the girls when we were trying to run away."

"I know…" Brandon stopped her from continuing since he knew that the subject of that day pierced her heart like a sword through a chest. "I uhm… I-I just asked Jeff to make a new one for you. And I told him that I wanted it exactly like the old one."

Aphrodite awed the necklace. "Can you… Help me put it on?" She asked, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Sure!" Brandon then took the necklace from her and gently held it up.

She then turned around and lifted her hair.

After putting the necklace around the queen's neck, they both gazed at the necklace happily.

"How… How do I look?" She asked awkwardly.

"Beautiful." Brandon blurted.

Aphrodite blushed hard and giggled. "I don't know what to say..." She started, trying to keep his attention off her red cheeks, "N-No one has ever done something like this for me!"

"I told you I wanted you to be happy didn't I?" Brandon teased.

Aphrodite smiled radiantly at the necklace. She then looked up at Brandon and approached him slowly.

Brandon widened his eyes feeling her so close. He blushed exceedingly and gulped.

Aphrodite then gave him a peck on the cheek and hugged him tightly. "Thank you… Thank you so much!" She whispered.

Brandon was taken aback. If Elsa was here, boy she would have yelled 'Tomato' for a whole year. Brandon blinked and his smile couldn't get any wider. He quickly hugged Aphrodite back tightly.

_No… Thank _you_._

A tear went down his cheek.

_Thank you all._

* * *

Aiden walked beside Elsa in the village, heading to Bulda.

They both didn't look at each other. Elsa had her eyes on the ground and she was hugging herself again.

As for Aiden, he was a meter and a half away from her side. He definitely didn't want to invade her space and wouldn't want to make her feel unsafe and uncomfortable with him.

He found the silence between them very awkward. So he started thinking of some way to break it.

Elsa on the other hand could feel everyone's piercing fearful and suspicious eyes at her. The villagers all grunted at her and turned away from her, rejecting her presence. No one clearly wanted her around, especially after Dave's incident.

"It's _her_." She heard someone whisper, his voice full of malice and hate.

Elsa's shoulders lifted and she felt more ashamed_. Do they know?!_ She thought, feeling scared that they might have known her secret about the murder of her mother and sister.

Aiden felt Elsa's anxiety and he smiled sympathetically. "Hey Elsa?"

Elsa quickly lost her focus on the villagers and woke up from her thoughts. _He's talking to me! What does he want!? _She fearfully thought. She turned her head slowly and nervously to look at Aiden, "Y-Yes?"

"You know… I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun at Bulda's. She's really sweet. You already met her, right?!" He asked happily, trying to distract her and placing his hands behind his neck as he walked. "She even gave you that beautiful blue rose!"

Elsa's face brightened at that, "Yes!" She said excitedly all of a sudden, feeling happy to remember her very first gift from ANYONE really.

"You know, when I was a kid, back when I arrived at the fort, Bulda was the one who took me in and raised me." He revealed while smiling shyly.

Elsa looked at him curiously with a smile, then, "Bulda is a good mama?"

Aiden nodded, "She was very kind and loving to me."

Elsa pursed her lips, thinking, "No papa?"

Aiden's eyes widened a bit and he looked up not wanting to make eye contact, "Not… Not really. My real father, he… He wasn't a kind man." He confessed.

"Oh..." Elsa felt sad for Aiden. _Her_ papa was a _very good_ man though. He had always focused on helping her control her powers and he had spent all his free time training her! For her own sake right? He was a very good papa. She definitely knew that.

"I remember when Bulda used to let me help her out in the gardens?" Aiden continued talking about his childhood with Bulda, trying his best to keep Elsa's spirits up.

Elsa listened and laughed with Aiden until she heard something that distracted her from the conversation.

Aiden continued to talk without noticing that Elsa was preoccupied.

Elsa turned her head when she heard a man yelling. She saw a man, definitely drunk, yelling at a little girl who was probably between 9 to 10 years old.

Elsa's fear and worry started to grow.

"You… useless… child!" The drunk man yelled at his daughter.

"But I already bought you the wine, papa!" The girl explained, a bit of fear in her eyes.

Seeing the little girl, Elsa's stomach turned and her concern hit the sky. Was he going to hurt his own daughter too?! Elsa's heart beat faster.

_Kill him._

Elsa's eyes widened and her head quickly darted around to see who dared say this. But there was no one.

_No love. No mercy. Kill him._

Elsa gasped and clutched her head, realizing that the voice was coming from inside her mind. A voice so familiar.

Her own voice.

"No…" She whispered to herself. "I don't want to… I-I'm a good girl! Papa wants me to be a good girl!"

Aiden continued to talk and talk, not realizing what was happening.

The man shoved his daughter to the ground with a harsh push, "Get out of here you, brat! And don't you dare come back without my wine!"

The little girl fell to the ground with a yelp.

Why was no one at least helping the girl!?

Elsa's eyes widened. Her heart nearly stopped. Her mind went crazy.

_Kill him! Kill him! Let me kill him!_

"No! Shut up!" Elsa said to herself, gripping her hair hard and gritting her teeth. She could already feel the sweat running down her forehead and her trembling didn't make things any better.

All of a sudden scenes and images of how her father and Mad used to beat her and hurt her started to roll in her mind like a movie.

_Kill him!_

The man approached his daughter, "Come on!" He kicked her thigh and the little girl yelped aloud in pain.

_Kill them all!_

* * *

Tyler walked in the halls, following a crazy looking old man. He eyed him from afar with full suspicion and disgust. _Dammit, he reeks of crap._

"Why would the king bring _something_ like _you_ to his castle?" Tyler insulted, eyeing Mad up and down.

"Well I am his trusty servant! I help him deal with many things… Including taming some beasts." Mad laughed slyly and rubbed his hands together, licking his lips. "The king will be very satisfied that you found his Snow Witch. She is very dangerous and shouldn't be out in the open to go and roam freely."

"Couldn't agree more." Tyler looked away from Mad, no longer able to stare at such ugliness, so he decided to look around at the paintings on the wall.

For some reason he felt cold. A shiver went down his entire spine as he could have sworn he heard the echoes of a child's scream and a mother's yelp. Did his anxiety to meet the king made him hallucinate? He could almost hear the walls talking... Screaming. He knew those walls held the history of The Silenced Queen of Arendelle and her children. Those walls held the history of this dark castle. They held the agonizing screams of a tortured Snow Queen. But he didn't care. He wanted all those royals out of his fort. Period.

"You are lucky you're still alive." Mad admitted. "It's proof that she hasn't— Ah nevermind."

Tyler gave him a confused and skeptical look. "So…" He started, "_What_ is this Snow Queen to you?"

"A failed experiment." Mad said as if everything was casual.

"An… experiment?" Tyler asked.

"Yes!" Mad happily said, "I did many experiments on her. I've learned many things too."

"Why _her_?"

"Because all of my other subjects died before the experiments were even complete. But as for her… She survived every single one of them. Fascinating isn't it?"

"Very." Tyler rolled his eyes. _This guy is mad._ He thought, looking at Mad with disgust. _Hence the name._

"Unfortunately, there was one experiment that _did_ fail." Mad revealed, "It even cost me _this_!" He lifted his right hand and showed Tyler that it was completely torn off. As for his wrist, it was completely frozen. "It doesn't even melt... It's pure solid ice!"

"Poor you." Tyler mocked in a cold voice.

Mad snickered and hid his arm behind his robe. "She would have cost me way more if I hadn't stopped her. But anyway…" mad continued to walk, "You should know that there are two."

"Huh? You're not making any sense." Tyler was confused, "Two what?"

Mad rubbed his chin, thinking, "Hmmm… I don't really know…"

_What?!_ Tyler looked at him with wide eyes. _This creep really IS mad! _

"Now where was the Majesty's room?" Mad asked himself.

Tyler gulped.

* * *

"So that's how I planted my first white rose with Bulda." Aiden finally finished and turned to look at Elsa.

His eyes widened though and he started to panic, seeing no one beside him.

"Elsa!? Elsa!" He started to look around, but there was no trace of her. "Elsa, where did you go!?"

_She was just right here! Oh my god! Anna's gonna kill me! What if Elsa gets hurt again!?_

All of a sudden he heard a man shriek in desperation.

"What the hell?!" Aiden quickly turned towards where the scream came from.

And the scream was…

"HEEELP!"

* * *

**Everyone who ships Branphodite shout "Branphodiiiiite!" xD! Ah i just love them :3**

**As for those who don't... well... here you go : -.- *whispers* branphodite all the way, mista -.-**

**As for those asking if elsa has a twiiiiiiin :D!... No.**

**Simply no xD**

**So keep analyzing those dreams of the woman in white. :) (btw i'm not being racist or anything :S) i love everyone!**

**I know your brains are probably all confused on WTF is happening here :P So...you'll...see...soon mwahahahah **

**Yyyyyello everyone! **

***here comes the pitchforks***

**AH! I know! I know! I've been _preeeetty_ late with my update BUTT...i mean BUT...well i have my reasons. and I'm SOOOOOOOwwwYYYYY! :'(**

**I just wanted to tell you guys that my life is finally settling up and that i'm starting to have a wonderful time after some deep poop. I've been going to therapy and feeling great about myself and everything. I even went on a vacation for a week to Marmaris, Turkey and had a blast there :) I've learned many things in life and one of the most important thing is that : Life goes on and that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.**

**I wanted to thank EVERY... SINGLE... PERSON who would send me msg just to make me feel better or to ask me how i'm doing or such and all of you are so awesomely great.**

**I just love you all seriously. I love you i love you i love you! Long live this wiiiiiiiiilldd wiiiiiiilldd loooveee of ussss! WOOW! Stay awesome guys! *bear hug everyone!***

**If anyone is having problems and want to talk to me i swear to God above in heaven i'm a good listener and i would listen till my ears pop up. I want to help everyone who are facing problems like how i was. Everyone has problems no matter how small or big and can react to it differently so even if your problem seem small to you and you're shy to bring it up, DON'T BE SHY. You can talk to me :) Just msg me and i'll reply right away :) Stay strong guys!**

**As for the story... well get the f************************** ready to pee your pants! xD Things are going to get spicy! *evil laugh***

**Hopefully i won't be late like before O.O I won't promise anything or else i'll have to remove more pitchforks off my butt. :P sooo... yeah :) I'll try my best guys! :D**

**As for those who think that i'll stop the story...well... know that i would get buried in the ground, come back to life, dig a hole allll the way up, climb up from the dirt like a zombie, get a piece of paper and continue writing the freaking story xD! Just for you awesome peeps :***

**See you on the next chapter!**


	48. A Game of Chess

The Ice Behind Bars  
Chapter XLVIII: A Game of Chess

"You know, I've been thinking…" Brandon started as he sat on the chair, swinging slightly back and forth, his hands behind his head and his eyes towards the ceiling.

"_That_'s dangerous." Aphrodite mocked as she worked on the dead body that lied there in front of her on the table.

Brandon frowned at her, "Ha. Ha. Very funny." He could clearly see the smirk on her face.

"Well?" Aphrodite asked.

"Well what?" Brandon asked, oblivious.

Aphrodite rolled her eyes. "Well, what were you thinking about?"

Brandon bit his lip. "Hey, Aphrodite?" He removed his hands from behind his head and leaned forward, putting his elbows on his knees.

"Mm?" She acknowledged, dissecting the body's chest.

Brandon gulped, "Have you…" He trailed off. He knew that Aphrodite hated to bring this up, but he was just so curious. "Have you ever wondered why Jamie became like that?"

Aphrodite's hand froze. Brandon fidgeted nervously seeing the scalpel in her hand.

She blinked and slowly lowered her hand, putting the scalpel on the table.

He could see that she was clearly lost in thoughts. He gulped again.

After a silent moment, Aphrodite inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, then spoke, "Always have." She opened her eyes again and continued her work with the corpse.

Brandon waited for her to continue since he could sense that she wanted to say more.

"Do you remember, Catherine?... Jamie's sister?" She asked him.

Brandon nodded, "Yeah?" He paused for a moment, "But what happened to her?"

"She's dead." Aphrodite blurted coldly.

Brandon's eyes widened slightly. "What happened?" He asked in disbelief.

"She was forced to marry a young king from a foreign land by her mother. And of course, Jamie didn't approve of that. He loved his sister more than anything." She explained. "But…" Aphrodite's face turned sad. "On the day of her wedding, she and her newly husband were assassinated."

Brandon made a small and silent 'Oh' with his mouth.

"Jamie had promised her that he would bring her back home one day, and that he would protect her at any cost. So… Ever since he received the horrible news," Aphrodite's eyebrows furrowed. "He… Changed…"

Brandon lowered his eyes, feeling a bit remorseful for Aphrodite since she spoke in a sorrowful tone. The king was her husband anyway, and she had clearly loved him once.

"He became so obsessed with keeping his kingdom safe. He wanted to be the greatest and strongest king, so strong that everyone would fear him so that no one would ever dare harm anyone he loved. But…" She sighed, "All that purpose was only driven by Hatred." She gritted her teeth from behind her closed lips. "His heart became full of hate and no longer had space for Love… Not even for me or his own children. What he is now is because…" She sighed, "It's because he loved his little sister _so_ much, Brandon."

Realization dawned on Brandon. He stood and put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, while looking at her sympathetically. "Sometimes a great Love can create a greater Hate."

Aphrodite nodded slowly. "It was a great and shock and tragedy for him. He grieved for years, even when I became pregnant with Elsa. I tried my best to keep him happy. I tried so hard to give him a better purpose than this obsession of his. But I failed." She lowered her head sadly, and after a pause, "Brandon… We just have to remember… Monsters aren't born."

"They are made." Brandon finished.

* * *

Anna gasped.

Kristoff furrowed his eyebrows in concern at the redhead as they walked beside each other in the forest where a thin layer of fresh snow covered the ground. "What's wrong?" He asked.

Anna was staring straight ahead, blinking repeatedly. "I…" She felt a strange unsettling feeling that overwhelmed her body in a rush. It was a bad feeling. A very bad one. It gave her goosebumps for some reason. "I don't know." She said worriedly, but waved it off. "Anyway…" She turned and looked at Kristoff. "We should hurry up and gather as much firewood as we can."

Kristoff and Anna were far away from the fort. They had to go up into the mountains for them to patrol the surroundings and make sure no intruders could cause any problems for the fort, as well as gather some wood for the upcoming winter along the way.

"Winter is near... Very near." Kristoff said while looking around at the small patches of snow. He then turned his head and saw the pensive expression on Anna's face. "Something on your mind?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

Anna's head shook as she was brought back to reality, "Huh?" She gave him a puzzled look.

Kristoff chuckled, "You're worried about everyone back at the fort aren't you?"

Anna sighed and turned her head away, "Yeah but… I don't like it one bit that everyone there is becoming paranoid." She frowned.

Kristoff understood Anna's real feelings behind that frown. "Well… You can't blame them. There's something or… _someone_ out there who is killing people. What do you expect? They have every right to be scared and worried." He reminded.

Anna glared ahead, lost in her thoughts. "Not when most of them are blaming, Elsa."

* * *

"She tried to kill me people! She should be locked away!" The drunk man yelled at Elsa while pointing an accusing finger at her.

Elsa stood haunted and terrified in front of him, utterly unaware of what had happened. The pure shock and confusion on her face made Aiden skeptical of the man's words.

Aiden quickly stood in front of Elsa, shielding her from the raving man. "Stop yelling at her! Look at her! She doesn't know anything of what you're blabbing about!" He defended.

"No! _SHE_ tried to freeze me! She's a WITCH! A witch I tell you!"

Elsa cowered and started trembling. "I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I just… I-I don't know!"

"Elsa, please! Just calm down, okay? Everything's gonna be fine!" Aiden assured with a gentle voice and a soothing smile. Albeit his expression quickly flipped into an angry sneer when he turned to the man. "Don't you call her, Witch, you bastard!"

Elsa gripped her hair. The stress was too overwhelming. "Please… stop…" She begged the chaos and the yelling around her. The wind started to blow harder.

"She's using her powers again!" One woman whispered to her friend in fear.

_Now… do it now!_

Elsa gasped and closed her ears and eyes tight. _Shut up! Shut up! Not again! _

_You're a coward! A COWARD!_

"No…" Elsa's silent tears fell. The wind was getting colder and colder.

_Kill him NOW!_

"NO!" Elsa screamed. The wind settled in.

Every single person around her went silent. They all turned to look at her.

As for Elsa, she kept her ears and eyes shut.

Aiden who was gripping the man from his shirt, shoved the man to the ground. "Try to control your consumption of booze before you start accusing innocent people." He gave him one last disgusted look before he ran to Elsa's side.

Aiden looked remorsefully at the stressed-out princess. He put his hand on her shoulder to try to comfort her but—

Elsa gasped and started thrashing her hands, "No! Don't hurt me! Please, please! Don't hurt me! I'm sorry, I-I'm sorry!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Elsa, it's me! Aiden! Calm down…" He soothed and held her wrists not too tightly. "Open your eyes… Look… It's just me." He said with the gentlest voice he could master.

Elsa blinked repeatedly before she slowly opened her eyes to see Aiden's sympathetic smile. "A-Aiden…?"

"Hey… it's fine, now. You're okay, alright?" He let go of her wrists and took a step back to give her space. His heart burned when he saw the tears in her eyes. "Look... I know it wasn't your fault, Elsa. The man was just drunk, and he wasn't making any sense." He assured.

"I-It's… it's not my fault?" Elsa asked shamefully, while hugging herself with a hurt face.

"No. Not at all." Aiden gave her a reassuring smile.

Elsa slowly but surely smiled slightly back.

"Where is my drink!?" The drunk man on the ground tried to look around for his bottle.

Elsa noticed where it was and rushed to it. She grabbed it and then ran back to the man on the ground. She leaned down and held it up for him with an innocent smile.

The man took the bottle and slowly lifted his eyes to see the goddess who helped him find his drink. "Ah Thank you! Whoever… you… a_aa_" He saw Elsa. "AH! Get away from me!" He pushed her and crawled back.

Elsa fell to the ground and the bottle went shattering.

"Stay away from me!" He shouted again.

Elsa sat up and stared at him in shock. "I… I-I just wanted to help!" She tried to explain, while lifting her hand and when she saw them, her eyes shot wide open in terror, noticing that the gloves were gone. "N-no…"

"You monster!" The man accused.

The word was so hurtful that it made the confused princess flinch in her place. Elsa could only stare at her shaking hands in horror. She then started to hear whispers around her and lifted her head to look at the people staring at her. Some were angry and others were giving her skeptical looks. They were all gossiping about her.

Elsa shakily stood up and kept her clenched hands to her chest, her head darting around everyone. "I'm…" Her cyan eyes went right and left then right and left, looking at everyone who gave her hateful looks.

Finally, her eyes fixated on Aiden. "I'm sorry…" She said before she suddenly started sprinting away from the scene.

"Elsa, wait!" Aiden quickly followed.

_I have to run! I have to run! They're going to kill me!... I don't have my gloves! No gloves! Papa will punish me! Where are my gloves!? Where are they!? _Her mind raced as she tried to find a place to hide.

People gave her weird looks as she passed.

Elsa gasped by seeing the trail of frost she was making behind her. "No! Stop!" She begged her curse in a desperate tone.

Aiden ran as fast as he could, but throughout that entire crowd he lost her and his only source of help was the frost on the ground.

"Over there…" He whispered to himself, seeing that the trail of frost led to the stables.

He quickly shoved open the stable doors, startling some of the horses.

His heart sank as he saw a woeful Elsa crying in the corner of Sven, the reindeer's stall.

Her knees were brought to her chest and her head was between them.

Aiden winced slightly at the hurtful scene and approached her. He leaned down and put a hand on her knee, "Elsa…"

"NO!" Elsa screamed and all of a sudden a four meter tall wall of ice shot from the ground right between them.

Aiden stumbled back in surprise, staring at the wall in amazement. The horses around were spooked.

He had never seen Elsa's powers in action, but now? He was pretty gazing at it.

"I-I'm so sorry, Aiden! I'm so sorry! I-I-I'll conceal! Conceal! C-Conceal!" She screamed to herself as she tried her best to hide her hands, but that only created a layer of frost on the wooden walls of the stables. "Conceal. Don't feel! Conceal! Don't feel!"

"Elsa…"

"Conceal! Conceal! Conceal!"

"Elsa!" Aiden shouted to snap her back to reality.

Elsa cowered and finally stopped gibbering.

Aiden sighed and cursed himself for shouting since Elsa was now cowering from him, her entire body shaking. "I'm sorry… I shouldn't have raised my voice. I know how much that scares you." He remorsefully said with a chagrined face.

But Elsa didn't reply and kept her arms up in defense.

Aiden lowered his head in shame.

All of a sudden he noticed something: The reflection of Elsa on the ice wall was distorted. Suddenly it hit him. He gasped silently while smiling widely as he got an idea. He then gave Elsa a playful smirk.

Elsa was having an internal conflict. _Why was I born this way?! Why does everyone hate me?! Why?! Why?! WHY!?_

_COWARD!_

"Hey Elsa_aaa_…" She suddenly heard Aiden sing-song from the other side of the ice wall, interrupting her from her gloomy thoughts. She slowly lifted her head to see him, and when she did…

"How do I look?" Aiden asked and chuckled like a goof.

Aiden stood directly behind the ice wall so that Elsa could see his distorted reflection. His face was chubby and his eyes were huge and far apart than usual. As for his muscular body… Well… It wasn't that muscular anymore. Instead his legs were very thin and his upper body was in the abnormal shape of a heart.

Elsa started giggling while wiping away her tears.

Aiden made a goofy dance and it only made his reflection look weirder and funnier.

Elsa's giggle became more lighthearted.

"Isn't it awesome?!" Aiden was honestly amused with the ice wall. He was playing like a 5 year old boy who just discovered something new. "I sure need a diet!" He deadpanned at his fat reflection.

Elsa laughed.

"Ahhh… My face is meltiiing!"

And laughed…

"I think… my leg has a butt."

Elsa couldn't take it anymore. Her carefree and jolly laugh was almost heard throughout the entire fort.

"Come on! Try it, Elsa!" Aiden encouraged.

Elsa stopped laughing and stared at Aiden with a blank face.

"Give me your hand…" He said gently while leaning forward and holding his palm in front of her.

Elsa stared at his hand with a surprised look.

"Trust me, Elsa." Aiden said.

Her eyes widened and she stared straight at his green ones.

_Trust you? _Her heart beat faster.

Aiden gave her a toothy smile.

"I…" Elsa mumbled.

She lifted her hand to take his…

"I…"

Aiden's heart was dancing.

"I…"

Their hands were getting closer to each other.

"I…"

And closer…

Few more inches… Annnnd…

"I can't." Elsa quickly recoiled her hand back to her chest. "I could hurt you." She said sadly, looking at her bare hand.

Aiden smiled sympathetically. "Then here…" He removed his own gloves from his hands, "Take mine. It will help you feel more confident until we get you your new gloves." He wondered where here old gloves were but he didn't dare ask and ruin their moment.

Elsa smiled radiantly and gratefully accepted his gloves. She then put them on, but despite noticing how big they were for _her_ hands, she didn't mind the kindness. "Thank you." She sincerely said with a blush.

"D-Don't mention it." Aiden blushed harder. "Now, come on. Let me break this ice so I can remove it, then—"

"You won't punish me?" Elsa nervously asked, gulping.

Aiden turned at her with a surprised look. "What?"

"I-I… There's… I-I-Ice and… I— Papa—… I-I shouldn't have used my powers!" She worriedly confessed.

Aiden smiled sympathetically, "So what?"

Elsa's eyes widened in shock.

"We had fun didn't we? Besides… It was an accident. And Elsa?"

"Y-Yes?" She awkwardly replied.

He leaned closer. "Remember… I will never ever hurt you."

Elsa smiled widely in relief.

He then held his hand for her again, this time the other way around where his hand was bare and hers was gloved. "To Bulda's?" He asked.

With a shaking hand, Elsa hesitantly but surely grasped his big hand so he could help her up on her feet, "To Bulda's." She repeated with a nod.

* * *

"Your Majesty, you have a visitor." Mad said with a smirk while bowing.

Tyler stared at the king's back with a nonchalant face.

The king stood in his dimly lit study, staring at the window with his hands folded neatly behind his back. "Welcome to Arendelle, stranger. My name is King Jamie of Arendelle… and I heard you have news?" The king turned his head and smirked at Tyler.

Tyler bowed mockingly, "Your majesty… My name is none of your business. But I bring you information on The Snow Queen you seek."

Jamie smiled then nodded at Mad.

Mad bowed once again, then left the room, closing the door behind him and leaving them both alone.

"Now… We can talk." The king allowed and sat at his desk. "Please take a seat."

Tyler approached the desk and sat on the chair opposite the king.

"Mad told me that you came here with the intentions of getting rid of The Snow Queen." The king started.

"Yes, Your majesty. I've figured that she's too dangerous to be left to roam freely in this world." Tyler admitted.

"I couldn't agree more." The king nodded. "I've spent years trying to tame this beast. But not once did she listen. She kept using her curse and even tried to harm me multiple times. Now look… My entire kingdom is frozen and people are dying because of her will of revenge."

"And she might also cause problems to my home." Tyler huffed mockingly, "Somehow I keep bumping into crazy people." He angrily said.

"Beasts." Jamie corrected. "Things like her are called beasts. We… at Arendelle… tend to teach beasts a great lesson of manners. We then proceed on locking them up forever so they can rot. But…" His expression turned grim. "Thanks to some SCUMS!... _They_ decided to set free the most dangerous one. Who happens to be. My. Daughter." He spat.

Tyler's eyebrows furrowed. He opened his mouth to speak but…

"But first…" The king said raising a palm, "Before we get more serious… Let us amuse ourselves with the game of kings." He said, putting a box of chess on the desk in front of them.

"As you wish, your majesty." Tyler accepted.

"Please… Take a seat."

The two men sat on each side of the desk, with Tyler having the white pieces, while the king got the black.

And they started playing.

Tyler moved a pawn.

"One of the most important things they teach us royals, is Chess." The king said with a confident, calm voice and moved a pawn of his own.

"Is that so?" Tyler nearly rolled his eyes. He made his move, moving the same pawn forward.

The king gave one nod. "Chess teaches us about Strategy, Observation and Tactics." The king moved another pawn. He looked at Tyler's white pawn. "No one has ever won this game by taking only forward moves. Sometimes you have to move backwards to take better steps forward."

The two of them continued playing, each one of them making their own moves depending on their own style of playing. They kept playing for an hour until…

The king tapped his black king. "The king is the most powerful piece. That's why you have to sacrifice the other pieces in order to save him."

"Unfortunately, I disagree. At the beginning of the game, the king is hiding behind all the pieces." Tyler said with a smirk and knew well that he just insulted the king by noticing how the king clenched one fist. But that only made Tyler more amused.

"The other pieces become useless when the king is dead." The king carelessly moved the queen, feeling irritated.

Tyler knew that Anger was his weapon against the king. For when a player loses his patience, he loses the game. "Sometimes a well-placed pawn is more powerful than a king." Tyler ate the king's black queen using only a pawn. "Check." He was one move away from winning the game.

The king rubbed his chin, "A queen is not as important as a king." He then moved his king away from Tyler's pawn.

Tyler shook his head when the king made another wrong move and chuckled at how pathetic the king looked. He leaned forward close to the king's face, "King… Pawn… Knight… Queen… They are all the same. Since at the end of the game, your majesty…" He smirked widely, "The king and the pawn go back in the same box." He made one last move. "Check. Mate."

The white queen ate the black king.

"You should have been more careful of your queen. But you sacrificed her in order to save your precious _king_ and never knew that… Every king needs a queen in order to be strong." Tyler honestly said.

Then silence.

The king stared at his dead black king and Tyler leaned back, folding his arms proudly and grinning.

The king suddenly huffed then started chuckling, "Well, well… I guess we have an expert at chess here."

"Of course you have." Tyler bragged.

"However…" The king smirked.

Tyler's eyes widened when he suddenly felt an enormous pain at the back of his skull. "Ah!" Tyler fell over from his chair to the ground with a thud and turned to see a smirking and laughing Mad with a club in his hand.

"An expert at chess doesn't have to be an expert in life." The king said while resting a leg over another and smiling with a puffed up chest, beaming with pride.

Tyler then turned at the king, feeling that he was beginning to black out. "You bastard!" He snarled.

That only made the king laugh, "I am patient with stupidity, old man, but not with those who are proud of it." He then stood from his chair and walked towards Tyler.

Mad was already tying Tyler's wrists behind his back. "This is gonna be so much fun!" He eagerly said while snickering to himself.

"I won't!... T-Tell you shit!" Tyler tried his best not to lose consciousness.

The king crouched next to Tyler's body and lifted the man's chin up with his index. "You are gonna tell me where the snow queen is… Even if I have to force it out of you." The king then let go of Tyler's chin and stood tall above him. "Mad will accompany you to your new cellar. Until then…" He lifted his feet and smirked manically…

Tyler's eyes widened.

"Sweet dreams." The king kicked Tyler's head, making him collapse completely limp and unconscious. Everything in Tyler's mind turned black.

* * *

**CALL IT KARMA! MWAHAHAHAH**

**Okay guys i've left you a small teaser about the upcoming chapters on my deviantart Lany19 ;) It's a pic of Elsa... I think :P**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter :D Until then... Let me know what you think about the story so far ;)**

**As for those who review using "guest" i can't reply! Literally! Like there's no reply button :( So please if you posted a review or a question using the guest account, know that i can't reply to it okay?**

**Okay enough talk. See ya!**


	49. The Blue Rose

The Ice Behind Bars  
Chapter XLIX : The Blue Rose

"Elsa!... Aiden!" Bulda called, while waving happily.

"Bulda!" Elsa shouted happily and ran to the woman.

"Hey there, las!" Bulda wrapped her in a hug and lifted her off her feet, nearly squishing Elsa's eyes out.

But the princess laughed at the act of love she was receiving.

Aiden chuckled while approaching, "Wow there, Bulda. We need her alive and well! Not squished! If anything happens to her, you'll have to deal with Anna and Leanna. And we both know that's scary enough to make you stop." He winked.

"Oh! Sorry there, dear!" Bulda let go of Elsa, and the poor thin princess exhaled in relief. "I forgot that you're just a wee lassie." She said while waving at Elsa's thin frame, making Elsa blush and awkwardly brush her left arm with her other hand.

Bulda laughed. "Well?!... I see you're both finally here so why don't we get to work huh?!" She said, putting her hands on her hips.

"**Okay**!" Elsa and Aiden said in unison.

"Alright, then. Elsa since you love roses, how about you help me plant some."

Elsa nodded excitedly.

"Aiden! You go take care of the other flowers. I need every single one of them watered."

"You got it." Aiden gave her a thumb up and then headed to do his chores.

"Okay, Elsa…" Bulda started, bringing the pale blond to attention. "First let me get the seeds." Bulda turned and headed to the table. "I'll show you how to plant them."

Elsa noticed something on the table. "Hi, Olaf." She waved hi at the ant… again.

"There you go!" Bulda startled her, shoving the bag of seeds in her arms. "Now all you have to do is put the seeds in the dirt and then cover them up." Bulda said, pointing at the pots in front of them.

"Okay!" Elsa nodded happily and before Bulda could stop her, Elsa emptied the entire bag of seeds in only one pot, and then covered them with dirt. "Good?" She turned at Bulda with a sweet smile.

Bulda rubbed the back of her neck, seeing the proud look on Elsa's face, "Uhm, haha… Almost." She heard Aiden snicker in the background.

When he noticed Bulda's frown he quickly coughed and cleared his throat, trying to stop his laughs. He then quickly turned and continued watering the flowers.

Bulda then started digging the seeds back up. "Just put a bit in every pot. Too much is not always good, Dear."

"No?" Elsa asked with a blank face.

Bulda nodded, "Take laughter for example. They say that it's the best medicine." She chuckled sarcastically, "I say it's just a disguise. Not just that but when someone laughs at everything, he'll only look like an idiot too."

Elsa listened attentively.

"Sometimes _crying_ is the cure. I've seen so many people trying to look tough by trying to hide their pain." She thought of Leanna. "But that only made their pain stronger, hence making them weaker." She looked at Elsa, "Ironic isn't it?"

Elsa rolled her lips in, not knowing what to say.

"I heard you've been taking good care of that blue rose I gave you." Bulda said with a smile.

Elsa's face brightened, "Yes! I water it with Anna every day!"

Bulda chuckled, "That's wonderful. You know, Elsa… There's a legend behind that rose." She said, raising an eyebrow.

"Really?!" Elsa stared at Bulda in awe, eager to hear the story.

"Aha." Bulda confirmed, "Many people say that it's just a myth but… There's always _some_ truth to myths, right?"

Elsa shrugged.

"Anyway… Long ago, there was a queen named _Namal of Isolål. _They say she was loved by her entire kingdom for her beauty, intelligence and kindness. She had long smooth white hair that reached her feet. Her eyes were like silver, and her skin as pale as snow!... BUT!" She suddenly said, startling Elsa.

"It wasn't just her strange beauty that amazed her subjects. But it was her private garden that only grew mysterious blue roses."

Elsa gasped slowly in awe.

"To her… those roses meant three things." Bulda held three fingers, "_Detrât, Ekdin, Alanør._" She said in a strange language.

"What does it mean?" Elsa asked.

"It means… Innocence, Clarity and Hope."

"Detrât… Ekdin… Alanør…" Elsa mumbled to herself, trying the words on her tongue.

"Strangely, the queen possessed a great power."

Elsa lowered her head. "Magic."

Bulda smiled sympathetically but decided to continue. "She was able to heal every sick and injured. Cuts would close and heal quickly. Bruises would fade in an instant. Broken bones would heal in a day. It was just like a miracle."

"Waw…" Elsa was fascinated.

"However…" Bulda lifted a finger, "Despite her magnificent power, she was still unable to use it on herself."

"Oh." Elsa muttered.

"Yes, the queen did have a useful power… But still, many hated it."

_I knew it._ Elsa thought.

"Some foreign kingdoms would accuse her of being a demon. And one day…" Bulda trailed off, "The queen woke up on screams in the middle of the night, only to find that her kingdom was in a middle of war. An army of thousands of usurpers surrounded her empire. The first thing she thought of was to save her people. She allowed every citizen to get inside her castle. She tried her best to protect them from the army outside. But then she realized they were outnumbered. She led her people to her garden, and collapsed on her knees, hearing the screams of her dying soldiers from outside the castle who fought bravely to protect their home."

Elsa's shoulders lifted in uneasiness. She was no longer sure if she wanted to hear the story.

"Her loyal knights wanted to sneak her out of the castle without anyone noticing. However, the queen refused to abandon her people, and sat in the middle of her garden. The usurpers didn't wait long before they set the entire castle ablaze. Tears rushed to meet the queen's face as she watched the fire eat away her people and her once beautiful garden… Everything perished and turned to ashes in front of her eyes."

Elsa bit her nails.

"As the queen lied down on the ground in the middle of hell, her entire body burnt, her long white hair gone, her left eye blind from the burning ashes that went into it and her lungs damaged from all the smoke inhalation, despair took over her mind and she shed her last tears. But do you know why she was crying?" She asked Elsa.

Elsa shook her head slowly.

"It was because she unable to save her people. But… on her final moment, she noticed something!"

"What?!" Elsa gasped.

"She saw one single blue rose, still blooming. And before the fire could reach it, the queen took her last breath, and with the last drop of hope, she sent her entire power into the rose, leaving no magic in herself what so ever. She hoped that this rose would one day save the next generation. At the end, the queen smiled one last time, and died in peace."

Elsa had her hands over her mouth.

"The entire castle was burnt down. The citizens who survived stood outside, staring in horror and mourning the loss of their queen, homes and families. Unfortunately, none of them knew that between all the ruins, only the blue rose stood there in the middle of the garden, blooming radiantly. The queen's strong will kept it safe forever. Bulda inhaled loudly, then…

"The end!" She blurted happily all of a sudden, her mood suddenly became cheerful.

Elsa stared agape, trying to comprehend this crazy story.

"Of course this is only a story created by the locals. People say crazy things these days!" Bulda chuckled.

Aiden was shaking his head with his hand over his forehead. _Then why did you have to tell her _this_ crazy story?!_

"Anyway! Let's get back to our business shall we?" Bulda asked while turning back to the table.

Elsa shook her head quickly and brought herself back from her trance. She giggled excitedly all of a sudden and her innocent smile was back, as if nothing had ever happened.

Aiden laughed and shook his head in amusement. She was simply an angel on earth.

Elsa noticed Aiden staring, so she waved.

Aiden's eyes widened and he blushed ferociously, waving nervously back and giving her a goofy smile.

Aiden suddenly gasped, "Watch out!"

Elsa's smile fell and she gave him a confused look. Before she could turn Elsa felt something hit her at the back of her head, sending her to the ground.

"Goddammit…" Aiden mumbled.

"Oh! Elsa dear, are you alright?!" Bulda ran to her.

A bunch of children came running towards her, "We're sorry, miss! We didn't mean it." A boy said apologetically, picking his leather ball up.

Aiden knelt next to her. "Elsa?"

Elsa had her head down, and her hair was over her face, so he wasn't able to see her expression.

He gulped, having no reaction from her. "E-Elsa…?" Somehow he suddenly felt a shiver go down his spine. As if there was an evil presence.

Elsa was on her hands and knees. "Pain…" She suddenly whispered in a cold voice that Aiden had never heard before.

Aiden started to help her stand up on her feet. "Come on, let's get you ba—" But before anyone could notice, Elsa suddenly turned at the boy, her face overwhelmed with fury and her crazy wide and glowing eyes craving for revenge.

Elsa grabbed the boy from his throat, pinning him down on the ground. "PAIN!" She snarled with gritted teeth.

The boy chocked and tried to call for help.

"Elsa, stop!" Aiden and Bulda shouted in unison, but before they could pull her away, a three meters tall and four meters wide wall of ice shot from the ground, blocking their way.

Elsa squeezed the boy's throat harder. "Die…!" She smirked maniacally.

"Please stop! He's my big brother!"

Elsa lifted her head quickly, only to see a little girl with blonde pigtails and blue eyes. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "A—… A-Anna?" She mistakenly saw the little girl as her little sister.

"Please!" The little girl begged.

Elsa furrowed her eyebrows sadly, tears showing at the corner of her eye.

The little girl backed away when suddenly Elsa gasped and clutched her head, screaming loudly as if in pain. She let go of the boy and backed away, falling to the ground and holding her head and squeezing her eyes shut.

Aiden and Bulda finally reached her. "Elsa what's wrong!?" Aiden asked, feeling relieved that the boy was okay.

The children quickly ran away in fear.

People around the market watched in horror.

Finally, after minutes of screaming her lungs out, Elsa's screams subdued and she began panting.

"Elsa?" Aiden called worriedly, putting a hand on her shoulder. He could feel that this dark presence was gone.

Elsa slowly lifted her head to look at him, "A-Aiden?" Her voice was weak and he could see that she was back to her innocent self again. "What's… going on?"

"She tried to kill the boy…" One woman whispered.

"I knew it. She's evil!" A man said, keeping his voice down in fear that Elsa would hear.

Aiden frowned, hearing the people murmur and whisper between each other, judging the pale blonde for her unacceptable action. "Come on… Let's get you back inside." He said, slowly and gently helping the tired princess up.

"Do you remember what happened?" He found himself asking.

Elsa tiredly shook her head.

Aiden and Bulda exchanged worried looks. "Help her back to her room. I'll take care of the situation here." Bulda said and Aiden nodded.

He then led her away from the scene, making sure she couldn't see the ice wall. _How did this happen?__!_ He wondered.

_She had her gloves on!_

* * *

The king sat in his study, wincing in pain while holding his right wrist. "Is it going to keep hurting?" He said angrily through gritted teeth, staring at his trembling hand.

"As long as she's too far away." Mad replied.

"This is all your fault." The king snarled at him.

Mad shrugged. "You were the one who asked for it, your majesty." He pointed at himself, "_I_ simply obeyed your orders." He smirked.

"You didn't tell me… _this_ would happen." He gritted his teeth hard and winced in pain again.

"Well… Had I known that she would actually escape from _you_, I wouldn't have suggested it." Mad mocked.

The king quickly grabbed him from his throat and pinned him on the desk. "Listen to me, you lowlife _scum_! I am going to torture then kill every single one of those bastards who dared invade my castle and free that monster!"

"Y-Yes yes, your majesty! But... T-That man that we captured? He refuses to cooperate and tell me the snow queen's location!"

The king let go of Mad. "Oh don't you worry…" He walked towards the door and grabbed the handle. "I'll personally make sure that he will tell me… _Everything_." He guaranteed while smirking, and before he could get out of the room, "Tell the captain to prepare the soldiers… We'll march tomorrow morning."

Mad never underestimated the king's ability to interrogate or force someone to do as he wanted, for the king had his own horrifying techniques of torture. Mad bowed, "As you wish…" Mad smirked manically and licked his lips, "Your majesty."

* * *

"I think that's enough." Anna said while putting the last pile of wood in Kristoff's sled.

"Alright, then. Hop on." Kristoff said while climbing the sled.

Anna climbed on and sat next to Kristoff, accidently touching his hand.

They both recoiled their hands and blushed.

"Uh… C-Come on, big guy. Go!" He commanded the reindeer.

Anna avoided eye contact.

After a half hour of sledding in a torturing awkward silence, Kristoff gulped nervously and decided to finally take a step forward. "Uhm… Anna?"

Anna turned to look at him, "Hm?"

"I-I… I-I was wondering…" He rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the rein in his other hand.

"Yeah?" Anna's heart beat faster.

"I… I-I heard there's a… festival… n-next week in— uh… the kingdom of Phidaenia and… I-I figured since it's not so far away from the fort…" He blushed really hard and Anna noticed the sweat on his forehead. "I f-figured that maybe I can… I-I mean _you_ can— no! WE!... can…" He inhaled deeply then, "Doyouwannagotothefestivalwithme?!" He quickly blurted, not realizing that he actually shouted in her face.

Anna was taken aback. Her eyes widened and her face couldn't get any redder.

Kristoff was wincing really hard that he kept his eyes squeezed shut, not daring to see her reaction. Her silence only made things worse for him. All of a sudden his eyes widened when Anna burst out laughing.

He expected a rejection… A slap… A punch… but never _this_! What? Was she mocking him?!

Kristoff frowned and turned away from her, focusing on the road ahead.

Anna shook her head in amusement and leaned towards him. He was just so cute when he was mad.

Kristoff's heart stopped. He felt them… those gentle lips of hers on his cheek.

"Of course I'll go with you, Kristoff." She said, blushing.

He turned at her slowly. "R—… R-Really?" He asked in disbelief.

She smiled fondly, "I think that kiss was a good answer." She teased.

"But… why did you laugh?"

Anna blushed harder and shifted in her seat shyly. "Well…" She played with her fingers, "It was because… _I_ wanted to ask _you_ to go with me to the festival." She giggled, "But I guess you beat me to it."

Kristoff smiled lovingly at her, and she smiled lovingly back.

Then…

Kristoff's smile fell, seeing the look on Anna's face. "What's wrong?"

Anna had a glower on her face as she focused on listening carefully. She stood on her seat to try and look around, putting a hand on her sheathed dagger. "Kristoff…"

They could hear it… Horses' galloping… Men shouting.

Getting closer and closer until…

"There they are!" A man shouted angrily.

"Sven! GO!" Kristoff shouted and the reindeer dashed forward, sprinting as hard as he could.

"Who are they!?" Kristoff asked.

"Bandits!" Anna replied.

"What should we do?! We can't lose them like this! They have horses!" Kristoff noted.

"You keep your eyes on the road up front! I'll deal with them!" Anna said, readying herself.

Kristoff nodded. "Come on, Sven! Faster!"

"Don't let them get away!" One of the bandits shouted.

Anna grabbed a big piece of chopped wood and threw it. "Take… THIS!"

The piece of wood hit one of the men, knocking him off his horse.

"HAHA! Bullseye!" She raised her fist in victory. "Four to go…" She whispered to herself.

"Come here, you!" Another man rode right beside the sled. He grabbed Anna's leg and started pulling.

"Let go, you bastard!" She struggled with him then kicked his face.

The man was able to stay on his saddle, "Why you…" He unsheathed his sword.

Anna pulled her dagger out.

He lunched. She blocked it. He swung again and she jumped.

"That's it!" She decided to be offensive. "You only live once!" She jumped at the man, pushing him off his horse and taking the reins. "Kristoff! Get rid of the sled! We have to lose them!"

"Alright!" Kristoff shouted back. He stood and jumped on Sven's back. He then turned and released the reindeer from the sled by cutting the bridle.

"Follow me!" Anna shouted.

Kristoff nodded and followed Anna who took a turn and entered the dark woods of large pine trees.

"Anna! Watch out! There's one above!" Kristoff warned.

Anna gasped looking up at a man on the tree's branch, drawing his bow.

"Sweet dreams, my queen." He whispered before he sent the arrow flying.

The arrow hit the horse's leg, sending it to the ground.

Anna went flying off the horse's back and hit the ground head first, her body rolling violently on the dirt.

"Anna!" Kristoff called worriedly. He quickly turned the reindeer and rushed to her side.

Anna groaned and slowly lifted herself on her knees, the world around her turning and her forehead bleeding. "Kristoff…" She whispered.

He dismounted the reindeer and rushed to her side. "We have to get out of—"

"Well, well…" A man's voice cut him off. "If it isn't the queen herself."

Kristoff realized they were surrounded by four men. "What?" Kristoff scowled at them, not understanding anything.

"We finally found you after all those years, your majesty." Another man teased.

"I'm… not a queen, you idiots! Yet alone… a royal!...You've got… the wrong person!" Anna tried to clarify.

"You can't fool us, your majesty. I recognize that face anywhere. You were last seen around these parts. And now we found you!" The man with the bow said while smirking.

"What are you talking about?! You're not making any sense!" Kristoff said and before he knew it, he felt a sharp pain at the back of his skull, knocking him unconscious.

"Kristoff!" Anna shouted worriedly. "You'll pay for this!" She snarled at the man who hit Kristoff with a club. She wanted to get up and split all those men apart, but she knew she was too injured and weak to do it.

"Richard, don't you think she's… too young to be the queen?" The third man was skeptical.

"Oh no… Trust me these people never age." The bowman approached Anna and kneeled right in front of her, holding her chin up roughly. "That's a bonus you get for being a royal brat." As he spoke, spit came out of his mouth, covering Anna's face.

Anna gave him a disgusted look, "Ugh… Why not try speaking your words instead of spraying them, you pig!"

Richard's eyes widened in rage, "Why you little…" He sent his fist flying towards Anna's face, knocking her down.

Anna yelped and fell to the ground with a thud.

"I'll finish you off right here and now." He pulled his sword out and held it above her heart. "The bounty that your brother in law put on your head will make us rich beyond belief." He chuckled and stared at Anna's pained face with a wide sadistic smile. "Goodnight, your majesty. I'm sure you'll find your husband on the other si—" Richard suddenly froze, his eyes wide in shock. He slowly looked down to see an arrow through his chest. He coughed blood and swayed backwards falling to the ground, dead.

"We're under attack!" The other men shouted.

"Behind you!"

The first one turned only to see a figure, wearing a long hooded beige poncho. His face was hidden under the hood and his sword slashing the man's throat, sending blood splashing everywhere.

"Get him!" the second one commanded.

The third one launched at the figure, swinging his sword, only for his opponent to dodge then slash his chest.

The last one backed away in fear. "I've had enough of this! You're not getting me!" He turned and started sprinting away, trying to get away with his life.

The hooded figure simply lifted his bow, drew his arrow… and released, impaling the man's throat, sending him sliding on the dirt and leaving a trail of blood.

Anna was barely conscious. She tried her best to stay awake.

The hooded figure started approaching her. She could hear the footsteps getting closer. She wanted to escape this person since she didn't know his intentions, but everything around her was blurred. "Stay… away…" She grabbed her dagger with a shaking hand, but her grip was too weak. Before she could lift her head to see the intruder's face, everything around her turned black… and she went unconscious.

* * *

**Hey guys i hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**I think some of you are pretty confused, but i am confident that there are some witty perceptive readers out there who already know what is going on ;)**

**If you see any writing mistakes please tell me cause i wrote this chapter pretty quickly and didn't have enough time to reread it.**

**If you could also please review or send me a message so i can know that some of you are actually reading, since i've been feeling that the Frozen fanfic page is growing quite dull. So i just wanted to know if i should continue here or not.**

**Peace out!**

**Lany**


	50. My Last Lullaby

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter L: My Last Lullaby

Anna slowly opened her eyes, feeling a killer headache. She slowly blinked, failing to get the blur out of her eyes. She could feel that she was on a soft and warm bed. She slowly brought her hand to her forehead, only to feel the fabric of a bandage. "Wha…?" She felt confused.

A door opened, letting cold air inside the room then closed.

"Oh, you're awake!" A cheerful feminine voice said.

Anna turned to the voice but only saw a blurred figure. She started to sit up.

"Wow, there! Easy now, girl." The woman said, approaching her. She grabbed Anna's arm and helped her gently to sit up.

"Where… Where am I?" Anna asked tiredly.

"You're in my hideout! Well—… It's not really a _hideout_. It's more like my shack."

The blur in Anna's eyes finally faded. Her eyes widened when she saw the woman.

The strange woman had strawberry blonde hair just like hers, tied up in a low messy bun. Not only that but she also had blue-grey eyes just like Anna's! She had a brown thin headband around her forehead and she was wearing a long beige poncho with only her right hand gloved.

Anna gawked at her.

The woman lifted an eyebrow at her, "I'm not that hideous am I?!" She teased playfully.

"W-What?! N-No! Not at all… I-I was just… You look a lot… like me!" Anna pointed at herself.

The woman rubbed her chin, "Yeahhhh, I was wondering about the same thing!"

"B-But we're so similar!" Anna's tone showed all sign of bewilderment and disbelief.

"Awesome right?!" The woman exclaimed happily. "Oh well," she shrugged, "Strange world, strange people."

Anna stared at her for a moment, "Who… Who are you?"

The woman laughed, "I should be the one asking _you_!"

Anna hesitated. _Well… She did save my life. _All of a sudden she remembered something. She gasped loudly, making the woman jump in her place. "Kristoff! Where's Kristoff?!"

"Oh, don't worry about your boyfriend. He's fine. He went out a moment ago to take a walk around the woods with his moose or whatever _that_ was. He wanted to make sure no bounty hunters were around." She explained.

Anna sighed in relief, "I'm glad he's okay— And WAIT what?! He's not my boyfriend!" She blushed.

"Well he did spend all his time tending to you when you were having a fever and wouldn't wake up." The woman looked away and teasingly said, "And he was _pretty_ concerned for you." She winked at Anna.

Anna was taken aback. "Kristoff was… worried about me?" She said, a smile slowly growing on her lips.

The door suddenly opened and Kristoff got in, carrying a pile of wood.

"Speak of the devil!" The woman said with a smirk.

His eyes widened when they met Anna's and he quickly let go of the wood, "Anna!" He rushed to her side. "You're awake! You're fine!" His voice sounded so relieved that Anna could have sworn he almost cried with joy. "Oh, I'm so glad!"

Before Anna could speak, Kristoff quickly wrapped her in a hug.

Anna's heart beat with joy. She just had never known that Kristoff cared about her this much. Slowly but surely she hugged him back.

"You were out for three days!" He notified.

"What?!" Anna broke the hug and stared at him in shock. "Three days?!"

Kristoff nodded, and then he smiled and looked towards the woman, "If it wasn't for Catherine here, who knows what would have happened to us. You gotta thank her for saving your life."

Anna turned to her, "I… I don't know how to thank you, Catherine. I-I don't even know why you saved us or why those bandits were even after us!"

"Those weren't bandits, darling. Those were bounty hunters." Catherine corrected.

"But why were they after us?!" Kristoff asked.

"Well…" Catherine rubbed the back of her neck. "They were actually after _me_."

Anna's eyes widened. "Why?"

Catherine giggled, "It's a… _very_ long story. You see… my brother-in-law literally wants my head on a spike."

"Your brother-in-law?" Kristoff asked again.

She nodded. "My husband's brother."

Kristoff and Anna both exchanged surprised looks then, "You're MARRIED?!" They shouted in unison.

Catherine blushed and rubbed the back of her neck, "I'm… more of a widow now."

Kristoff and Anna made a silent 'Oh'.

"Anyway… Since you look a lot like me, those bounty hunters definitely mistook you for me. So… I couldn't just stand by and watch someone get killed because of me." Catherine apologetically said.

Anna noticed the glove. "Uhm… I know this is kind of a blunt question, but… Doyouhavepowers!?" She suddenly quickly said while pointing a finger on Catherine's gloved right hand. _Maybe that's why they're after her?_

Catherine burst out laughing. "Oh god!" She held her stomach, "Of course not, silly!" Her laughs slowly subdued as she slowly removed the glove. "It's… a— uh… _gift _from my late mother."

Kristoff and Anna gasped with a horrified look on their faces as they stared at the cheerful woman's hand.

Catherine's right hand was entirely burnt and covered in damaged tissues of melted skin. It had brown-red patches here and there, clearly showing how painful it was.

"My mother always sought perfection." Catherine brought them back from their gawking, staring at her burnt hand with a smile. "She was always telling me to be the perfect girl. And _I…_ Always used to be the little rebel who just wanted to do crazy things. So one day… My mother and I argued and fought about this. And late at night, I decided to steal from the castle kitchen just to spite her. However… She caught me… and well…" Catherine chuckled for some reason, "She decided to teach me a lesson. She said that I would never listen not until she showed me what real punishment was, so… She…" Catherine's smile fell and she brushed her scarred hand with her left thumb. "Shoved my hand in the fireplace's burning coal."

"I'm… I'm so sorry…" Anna sadly said. _What's wrong with parents these days?_ Her eyes then suddenly widened in realization, "Wait what!? Did you just say you stole from the castle kitchen!?"

Catherine giggled, "I just hated being so serious and just wanted to try new things! You know… Adventures!"

Anna and Kristoff exchanged weird looks then turned at a smirking Catherine.

"Please don't tell me you're a royal." Anna said.

Catherine shrugged and smirked, "I am."

* * *

"Want me to help you with that?"

Bulda jumped in her place, startled. She turned and saw Aiden approaching her. "No it's fine." She chuckled. "I'm almost done." Bulda was putting everything away since it was late at night, and she wanted to go home.

Aiden leaned on one of Bulda's stands, and then lost himself in his thoughts.

"Thinking about Elsa?" Bulda snapped him out of his trance.

Aiden sighed. "I just went out of her room. I waited for her until she was asleep."

"Good." Bulda nodded.

A moment of silence occurred between the two, both of them hearing the relaxing chirping of crickets at night.

"You don't think its Elsa, right?" Aiden suddenly asked while folding his arms.

"No it's not."

"How can you be so sure?" Aiden asked again.

"Well…" Bulda trailed off, "She kind of… wasn't herself. It was as if it's a completely different person. Besides, she hasn't done anything unfortunate ever since the incident with the boy three days ago. This is hopefully a good thing."

Aiden nodded in agreement. He then looked around and smiled. "It's a pretty quiet tonight."

Bulda huffed and smiled, "It sure is."

Aiden's smile fell and he furrowed his eyebrows, "Almost too quiet."

* * *

Elsa jolted out of her sleep with a gasp, hearing laughs around her. She realized she was completely wet as well as the bed underneath her.

"Waky waky, ice princess!" A young woman's mocking voice said.

"That bucket of water sure has woken her up!" Another said.

Elsa brushed the water out of her eyes then lifted her head only to see three women standing over her bed with a smirk on their faces. "W-What's going on?" She fearfully said, her shoulders lifting.

There were two women with brown hair but one had darker skin than the other, as for the third one who looked like she was the leader, had blonde hair and wore a green peasant dress.

The latter who was holding an empty wet bucket approached her, "We're here to have some fun with you!" She mockingly said and threw the bucket away. "We _allll_ want to be your friends!"

Elsa smiled nervously, "R-Really?"

"NO!" The blonde shouted in her face, making her cower. "We heard you've been spending some good time with Aiden, huh?"

"W-What?" Elsa was confused.

"And causing a lot of trouble for the villagers." The second one said.

"Aiden sure has an eye on you, though." The one with dark skin said.

"And no longer cares about _me_!" The blonde pointed at herself. "Are you trying to steal him from me?!" She angrily said, grabbing Elsa by her wet hair.

Elsa yelped, not understanding what was going on. "I'm sorry!" She said out of habit.

"So you DO want to steal him from me!" The girl pulled Elsa's hair harder and shoved her off her bed, forcing her to stand between her and her comrades.

"I don't really know what he really likes about you!" She mocked with a laugh. "Sure you have a cute face, but look at that body of yours!" She smirked and purposely touched Elsa's healing wound, making Elsa whimper in pain.

"You're pretty hideous for a princess, Darling!" The third one said then all of them started laughing.

Elsa felt tears roll down her cheek. She felt utterly humiliated.

"You know we've been hearing some _nasty_ rumors about you." The one gripping Elsa's hair whispered in the pale blonde's ear.

"Hah she probably slept with every single man in this fort." Another girl noted.

"Anna…" Elsa whimpered for help.

"Oh, you poor little thing. Are you crying?!" She gripped Elsa's hair harder and pushed her towards her friend.

The third girl moved away, causing Elsa to fall on the ground. "Disgusting wet dog." She looked at the soaked princess in disgust.

"Since you love men so much, we invited some for you!" The blonde one smirked. "Come on in boys!"

Two young men entered the room, their lustful looks hovering over Elsa's body.

Elsa cowered on the ground and let her silent tears fall. "P-Please… Leave me alone…!"

"She's a pretty thing, isn't she?!" A young man approached Elsa.

"Don't you remember us, princess?" The other young man asked with a grin on his face. "We were the ones who wanted to get to know you when you first came here, however your pretty little boy, Aiden got in our way and beat us!" His tone turned angry.

"You can do whatever you want with her!" The blonde said and sat on a chair, putting a leg over the other.

_Why?! Why does everyone wanna hurt me?! Why?! _Elsa thought.

"Come on, princess! Aren't you gonna show us your pretty magic?" The girl with dark skin said.

"Who cares about that! Magic or not, she's mine." The young man took his belt out of his pants and bent it once, holding it with one hand like a whip. "Alright then, princess…"

Elsa turned utterly silent. The room's temperature dropped dramatically.

"How about we have some fun?" He asked, everyone smirking sadistically at Elsa, but soon their grins turned into surprised looks and some were even fearful.

"U-Uhm… Guys…" The other boy started backing away from Elsa, pointing at the ice forming around the bedroom door.

The girls gasped, "She's locking us inside!" Then they all ran to the door and started punching it and tried to break the ice but it only got thicker.

The blonde girl fell on her knees and started shivering. "I… I-I don't wanna die!" She sobbed.

Steam started to come out of their mouths.

"Oh shit!... Help! HELP!" The boy who held his belt shouted.

They were all drumming on the frozen door, trying their best to break it so they could get out, and not noticing that Elsa started to stand.

"Where are you all going?"

Everyone froze and went silent. They gulped as their heart stopped after hearing that dark and sadistic tone that came from behind them.

Slowly and shakily, everyone turned to see a smirking Elsa with glowing eyes. "Oh… G-God…" The one who was holding the belt felt wetness between his legs, and he knew very well that he just peed himself.

Elsa's smirk widened and she stared at them with bloodlust in her wide crazy eyes and…

"Didn't you wanna have… _fun_?"

* * *

Aphrodite and Brandon walked in the hallways.

"Ugh…" Aphrodite groaned, rubbing her tired eyes.

"Yeah, I'm pretty exhausted too." Brandon teased.

"Said the one who sat all day doing nothing but filling my ears with crazy stories." Aphrodite bluntly said.

"You know you like them." He said, grabbing Aphrodite's hood and pulling it over her head to tease her like he always does.

"Hey!" She pulled her hood back up and glared at him. "Why do you keep doing that?!"

"I just love seeing your expression afterwards." He glared playfully back.

She frowned. "Next time you do this, I'm cutting your fingers."

"Ouch!" He laughed and hid his fingers.

Aphrodite finally smiled.

Brandon then thought for a moment and gulped. He put his hand in his pocket, grabbing something. "H-Hey Aphrodite?" He nervously said, blushing really hard.

"Yeah?" She turned at him.

"I-I've been meaning to ask you… S-S-Something." He was totally tense and Aphrodite could see the sweat forming on his forehead.

"What's up?" She asked with a sympathetic smile.

They were both a few meters away from Elsa's room.

Brandon's face couldn't get any redder. He even forgot to…

"Breathe, Brandon! Breathe!" Aphrodite reminded.

Brandon exhaled loudly. "W-Well… I-I wanted to ask you…" He inhaled deeply and slowly, closing his eyes and tightening his grip on the thing in his pocket.

He opened his mouth and…

_BAM!_

The door to Elsa's room got smashed open, and out of it a young man's body went flying and hit the wall violently in front of Aphrodite and Brandon.

"Oh my god!" Aphrodite rushed to the young man. "Are you alright?!"

Brandon forgot about everything and sprinted to Aphrodite's side.

"What happened?!" Brandon asked.

The young man was all bloody and barely breathing. His left leg was gone, his eyes were wide with horror and his shaking was horrifying. He slowly and shakily lifted his hand and pointed behind Aphrodite.

Aphrodite gave him a confused and shocked look before she turned.

The moment her eyes caught the sight, Aphrodite's eyes shot wide with terror and she nearly puked, despite her years of experience with blood and gore.

Brandon quickly turned away and gagged.

Aphrodite gawked at the scene, unable to say a word… Utterly breathless.

In front of her, blood was everywhere. Two young girls were impaled with multiple ice spikes. A young man's body lied on the ground headless. But the most horrifying thing? Was Elsa.

Elsa stood in the middle of the room, gripping the blonde girl's throat and trying to dig her nails as hard as she could in the girl's skin. "Beg!" Elsa commanded with a maniac smirk.

The young woman tried her best to hold for dear life, "Please…!" She pleaded. "I'm sorry…"

Elsa laughed evilly then broke the girl's neck, the sound of the snapping bones sent chills down Aphrodite's spine.

Elsa then calmly let go, leaving the corpse to collapse on the ground with a thud.

Thieves and villagers ran in the halls and rushed to see what was going on.

They all watched and gasped in horror. The thieves readied their weapons to attack.

"She killed them!"

"Murderer!"

"You cold blooded demon!"

"How dare you!?"

_Two daughters you have but one split in two..._ Aphrodite remembered her dream.

She could hear everyone shout angry accusation at her daughter. But what could _she_ do? How could _she_ even defend her daughter now? Could _she_ even prove her daughter's innocence anymore? Even to herself! Was Elsa really a monster? She had so many questions but the most important one was…

"What have you done, Jamie?" She whispered to herself, staring at the monstrosity in front of her that she once called 'daughter'.

"KILL HER!"

That snapped Aphrodite out of her shock. "NO!" She more like begged.

Elsa turned and saw her.

Aphrodite.

Her mother.

Her eyes slowly widened. And she gasped and started screaming again, clutching her head in pain. She fell to her knees and after a moment she shook her head as if waking up.

"Get her!"

Elsa slowly lifted her head, not understanding what was going on or why everyone was surrounding her, or why all of them were giving her angry and fearful looks.

"NOW!" One commanded.

Before Elsa knew it, about six men jumped on her and started pinning her to the ground violently, tying her hands behind her back with chains.

She still hadn't comprehended what was going on.

They then started pulling her out of the room, not caring about her wounds or anything.

"Wait you guys! Stop!" Brandon tried to stop them but none listened. In fact they even pushed him away.

"You murderer!" One woman accused and made Elsa flinch.

As Elsa passed between all the chaos, an old man spat on her face.

Elsa then couldn't handle it anymore. She lowered her head and tried her best not to cry. _Everyone hates me! Everyone hates me! I'm a murderer!_

They drag her through the halls. "Demon!"

_A demon!_

Down to the lower level of the fort. "Abomination!"

_An abomination!_

Into the dungeons. "Witch!"

_A witch!_

Threw her in a cellar. "MONSTER!"

"A MONSTEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRR!" Elsa finally screamed with her eyes shut tight.

The cellar door closed shut.

"This is where you belong! You'll stay here till we figure out what we'll be doing with you tomorrow morning… You monster." The last man spat at the door and started leading everyone out, leaving Elsa to be the only prisoner of the fort's dungeons.

Everything inside Elsa's mind was silent. She turned and looked at the big metal door that looked so much alike the door that she'd been staring at for 15 years. If she was in a normal mental state, she would have heard the angry mob outside, shouting and cursing her name.

But no…

Everything was silent.

Until…

"NO!"

Realization dawned.

"NO PLEASE!" She screamed and rushed to the door, smashing her body on it, trying her best to open it but to no avail. "Get me out!" She screamed. "GET ME OUT!" Her heart raced as flashbacks and images of her father, mad and all of the suffering she had gone through raced inside her mind. She ran to the other side of the cellar, hitting her body on the wall, barely able to breathe with all the hyperventilating. "PLEASE! WHAT DID I DO!? PLEASE! GET ME OUT! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" She started to sob and wail, unable to think straight. Her mind was going mad.

With all the bedlam she was having inside her mind, she didn't notice that someone was on the other side of the door.

After everyone had left, Aphrodite slowly approached the cellar door, staring in disbelief. She could hear Elsa's pleading, screaming and begging. She could even hear the thuds of her daughter's weak body hit the walls here and there. She almost felt like there was a trapped wild animal inside with no sign of a rational mind what so ever.

"Get me out!" Elsa pleaded then, "Get… ME OUT!" Her tone suddenly turned furious. "Please!" Then scared and sad again.

Aphrodite on that moment knew… just how far Elsa's mind was really damaged.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" An angry Elsa screamed.

Aphrodite lifted her slender fingers and slowly brushed the metal door. Silent tears went down her cheeks.

"I'LL KILL YOU ALLLL!" Elsa shrieked.

Aphrodite couldn't hold it any longer. Her legs wobbled and she collapsed on the ground, on her knees, in front of the metal door, her hand over her mouth, and her eyes wide with horror.

"I'm sorry! I just… I j-just…" Elsa shakily said then groaned in rage, "DAMN YOU!"

Aphrodite sat on the ground, and leaned her back on the metal door, hearing her raving daughter go crazy inside. _Yes… Damn you… Damn you, Jamie! DAMN YOU! _She thought, feeling utterly helpless.

Elsa kept screaming and yelling and crying and wailing, her mind completely unstable. Her words completely absurd.

Elsa started forming ice spikes around the entire cellar. But her innocent and scared side stopped herself from continuing. It was a total mental conflict. "No… Stop!" She cried to herself, realizing what was going on with her.

Aphrodite just gave up. Despair gripped her mind and she tilted her head backwards, leaning it on the door.

Elsa was consumed by rage again. She started making a shining ice ball in her hands, ready to let the entire fort explode…

Aphrodite stared at the ceiling with teary red eyes, and inhaled slowly and deeply… then…

"_Little snowflake… close your eyes…_" The queen started singing hesitantly.

Elsa suddenly froze. Her eyes wide in shock. Her head slowly turned to the door.

**I'd listen to this song while reading this ;)**

**/watch?v=-H6CUWsOPXA**

Aphrodite continued. "_The sun is going down… now…_"

Elsa's anger slowly dissipated and turned into utter disbelief.

"_D-Deep in our hearts… Love shall thrive…_" Aphrodite just let her tears go. "_No one can hurt you now…_"

Elsa slowly approached the door, tears welling in her eyes. That was it… the very lullaby that only _she_ and her mother knew. As for the elegant and beautiful voice of her mother singing? She remembered it very well.

Elsa slowly slid down the door and put her ear on the cold metal, trying as hard as she could to be close to her long 'dead' mother. "_When… W-When you're alone… hear… my voice…_" And Elsa started.

Aphrodite couldn't help but smile, knowing that despite how much Elsa had forgotten about things, she had never forgotten about their lullaby. Somehow she was able to find happiness by the fact that SOME part of her real daughter was still there.

"_I'll be there when you need me…_" They started singing in unison, both finding peace and quiet.

Elsa feeling a warm beautiful sensation that she had missed so much.

"_Little baby…_" Aphrodite sang.

"_Count on me…_" Elsa continued with a hesitant smile.

"_I promise I'll never let you go._" They finished in unison.

Silence.

Sadness suddenly overwhelmed Aphrodite. For the song was over, and so was her big lie. The lie she was living all that time.

Elsa was shaking. "M-Mama?" More tears went down like waterfalls.

Aphrodite was speechless. She put a hand over her mouth to try not to sob. Guilt. Pain. Remorse. Happiness. Sorrows. Her feelings were going crazy. She didn't know how to respond. But for her… she had one choice.

Aphrodite stood on her feet and ran out, leaving a bewildered daughter.

She ran and ran through the hallways, crying her eyes out and not caring about anyone who was giving her weird looks.

Leanna was crying… That was the world's greatest shock.

Aphrodite ran… and ran… and ran…

She stumbled to the ground and some rushed to help her up but she pushed them away and continued running. She was heading straight to her room.

After reaching it, Aphrodite dashed inside the room and closed the door, throwing herself on the bed and wailing her eyes out. All of the anger. All of the sadness. EVERY single feeling she caged up inside her chest exploded into loud fits of cries and screams.

"Oh, my poor, queen."

Aphrodite's entire world froze. She slowly and shakily lifted her head off the bed, her eyes wide with utter dread. She refused to even turn around. That voice… it nearly made her faint. It made the small hair on her neck stand. It made a chill crawl around her spine and give her the strongest negative vibes she had ever felt. It's been years and years since she had heard this disgusting voice.

Without even daring to exhale, and with shaking lips, Aphrodite was only able to say one word.

"Jamie…"

* * *

**O.O… Enough said.**


	51. The Truth Unraveled

The Ice Behind Bars  
Chapter LI: The Truth Unraveled

"What do you mean, you're a royal!?" Anna asked in disbelief.

"Anna, drink this. You had a bad fever and we have to let your body rest!" Kristoff worriedly said while lending her a cup of water. "The last thing we want is for the fever to come back."

Anna sighed and started sipping.

"I know this is kind of weird and all…" Catherine rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "But yeah… I'm a royal and my real name is Queen Catherine of Lothaelin, formerly known as Princess Catherine of Arendelle."

Anna's eyes widened and before Kristoff could dodge it, she spat all of the water she had in her mouth.

"WHAT!?"

* * *

Aphrodite stood frozen and unable to move. Her entire body stiff as a wooden board and her hands were shaking from fear. Nevertheless, that fear only grew to utter terror when she heard his approaching footsteps that tapped the floor at an elegant and steady rhythm.

_It's him… It's him!_

"What's wrong, Aphrodite? Don't you want to see your husband after all those years?" He sarcastically said but Aphrodite gulped, sensing the anger in his tone.

Slowly, Aphrodite turned to see the most horrifying sight in her life: Her smirking husband standing right behind her.

"W-W-What are you doing here?!" Her tone held both dread and disbelief.

_How did he find us?! _

When her eyes met his, she couldn't help but back away.

_Stay away… Stay away!_

Her mind was going wild. She wanted to run and hide from the world for the rest of her life. She surely remembered it all: The horrifying things he had forced her to go through. It nearly made her gag.

"Oh?... I just came here to see my beloved wife." He started approaching her more.

_I hate you! I HATE YOU!_

Aphrodite's back hit the wall and she knew she had nowhere to go. "J-J-Just leave us alone!" She begged in a whisper and cursed herself for how weak she sounded in front of him.

"Why are you so scared of me, Aphrodite? Didn't you miss me?" His smirk got bigger as his bigger body pinned her slender one to the wall, putting both his hands on each side of her head.

_Please… Leave me alone! I hate you! I don't want you! You're not my husband!_

But she did not dare say those words aloud. Her legs wobbled and she gritted her teeth really hard when Jamie leaned his head to her neck and ear.

"I sure missed you." He whispered in the most malicious voice he could muster.

_NO!_

Aphrodite started seeing things in her mind as flashbacks of her old terrible life started rolling before her green eyes.

She was no longer the strong Leanna, but she was back to her old self AKA the weak and terrified silenced Queen of Arendelle. She didn't dare move a muscle at all.

_Brandon…_

Heck she didn't dare scream or shout or even call for help. She couldn't help but remember all the beating he gave her when she didn't obey his desires.

"Why are you so stiff?" He slowly and gently caressed her cheek, brushing away a tear with his thumb. "Don't you want to hug your husband?"

For some reason, she found herself shaking her head. She regretted it however, the moment she felt a sharp pain on her cheek that made her head turn violently to the side.

"Do it!" He ordered with a sneer, ignoring the tingling feeling on his slightly red palm.

Aphrodite shakily lifted her arms and put them around her husband's waste. She was simply staring off as if not even aware of what was happening. Her body was moving on its own, since her mind was too busy shutting everything out.

All of a sudden she started feeling completely numb. No fear. No anger. Despite her mental state, she was completely submissive.

"Do you love me?" He asked, kissing her neck.

Aphrodite unwittingly and slowly nodded.

"Why have you been hiding from me, dear wife?" He asked as he buried his face in her neck, "Not only that but you've also been hiding something of mine." He referred to Elsa.

"I'm sorry…" She whispered inadvertently, apologizing for what she had done.

_Elsa… Anna… I'm sorry!_

"You're all coming back with me." His tone suddenly turned cold and serious.

Aphrodite suddenly heard the screams outside.

"We're under attack!"

"Intruders!"

Villagers screamed in fear. Thieves and soldiers emitted their battle cries as they fought against each other.

"I'll bring this entire fort down." He guaranteed.

More screams of horror and shock rang in Aphrodite's ears.

"Tell me where you're hiding her…" Jamie said while tightening his grip on her arm.

_Elsa…_

"Tell me where you're hiding that beast!"

That snapped her out.

Aphrodite kicked him as hard as she could between his legs and ran, making him fall to the ground on his knees with a yell. She then quickly grabbed his sheathed sword and pulled it out while he was distracted.

"Why you little shit!" Jamie screamed at her as he suffered. "I'll kill you for this!" He quickly got up and ran at her, but stopped dead in his tracks when she held the sword with both hands—since it was heavier than she thought— and pointed it at him.

He smirked seeing how the sword was shaking violently in her hands. He knew that she was too weak to even strike him despite the angry and serious look on her face.

"I won't let you harm my daughter EVER AGAIN!" She snarled.

As he breathed heavily, he chuckled mockingly at her. "Even after all that time, you still refer to that _thing _as your daughter?" He insulted.

She groaned in anger and pushed the sword closer to his throat, making him gulp.

His eyes slightly widened and he realized how dangerous the situation was getting, since her hands were no longer shaking. "You would kill your own husband for that bi—"

"If that what it takes to protect my daughters, I won't hesitate to kill a thousand men like you!" She yelled then panted. _I'm glad Anna's not here… maybe he can't even find Elsa as long as she stays down there._

The bandage on his right hand caught her eye, but she quickly ignored it.

* * *

"You were a princess from Arendelle?!" Anna shouted in disbelief. "Then what the hell are you doing here?!"

Catherine sighed, "I'd been sent off to marry the king of Lothaelin. Unfortunately on the day of our marriage, my husband was assassinated. However, between all the chaos, my husband's personal guard helped me escape. But he was only killed shortly after and I then discovered that the murderer of my husband was his very own brother!"

Catherine was getting more emotional and Anna could see how she was trying to hold her tears back. "Only for a god damn throne!" She threw her hands up in exasperation, "My brother-in-law had told everyone that I was dead and he secretly sent assassins to finish me off so that I don't reveal his treason. I've been hiding for years from him." She sighed and her face turned sad, "I didn't even dare return to my own home and to my brother, fearing that it might cause a war between the two kingdoms."

Anna's eyes widened. _Did she just say 'her brother'?! The king of Arendelle?!_ She gasped. _Elsa's aunt!_

"Do you even know what this brother of yours had been doing all these years?!" Anna's tone turned angry.

"Anna… calm down…" Kristoff tried to ease the mood.

"Of course I do! My brother has been suffering a lot! He has lost his entire family! His daughters, his wife AND his sister!" Catherine obliviously defended.

Anna opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by Catherine.

"I have heard rumors about how he had his first daughter but she was born sick and weak." She glared at Anna, "And _another_ one that got abducted by some assholes or something along with his wife! Not only that! But his older daughter who happened to be the last family he got, died of illness not a few years after that incident!"

Anna gritted her teeth at her, "You don't know anything! He imprisoned his first daughter for years and as for his second well who knows what the hell he did to her or where she is! Both Elsa's mom and sister are nowhere to be found and she even refuses to speak about them!"

"Who the hell is Elsa?!" Catherine asked.

"She's his older 'sick and dead' daughter that you spoke of," She mockingly made quotation marks with her fingers, "And whom I happened to come across in the very depth of the damn dungeons of Arendelle!"

Catherine's eyes went wide. _Could… Could this really be true?_ _Could Jamie even dare imprison his own daughter?! _She looked at Anna. _Could _she_ really be his—_

Anna snapped her back from her thoughts with her yells, "She had lost her mother and sister! Her father is nothing but a psychotic coward! You're completely blind to all the truth!"

Catherine frowned. "Oh am I!?" Catherine sarcastically and angrily said. She approached Anna and grabbed her arm, pulling her sleeve up and revealing a small birthmark on her wrist.

Anna was completely taken aback.

"I'm not the one who is blind here, dear." Catherine lifted Anna's arm up and showed her the birthmark, "but _you_ are…"

* * *

Aphrodite's eyes widened when Jamie started to laugh.

She sneered at him in rage. Was he mocking her?! What a scoundrel!

"Oh, my poor Queen Aphrodite… You've always been so naïve. The fact that you love that thing so much is just…" he said in a mocking tone and wiped an invisible tear. "Disgusting." His faced turned serious.

All of a sudden the door smashed open and soldiers came running in, each one of them holding a crossbow.

"Put that sword down, love." Jamie said while pushing the tip of the sword away from his face with a single finger, and folding his other hand behind his back neatly. "Or we'll have to shoot those arrows right into your head." He smirked.

Aphrodite realized that she was surrounded and didn't have any choice. _I don't care about myself. As long as Elsa is down there, there's no way he can get to her._

Aphrodite slowly lowered the sword and shoved it to the ground, glaring at the king as hard as she could and showing him that she wasn't so scared of him anymore.

_Yes… he can't get to her. Elsa is hidden. Elsa is safe. Elsa is…_

All of a sudden someone stood at the door way.

Everyone turned their wide eyes to the door to see who this new presence was.

Jamie's smirk grew maniacally wide.

Aphrodite's eyes grew wide with shock. _No… No! NO! What is she doing here!?_

There stood Elsa, panting her heart out and staring right at her mother's face with teary eyes. "Mama…!" She said joyfully through her heavy breathes, still not noticing her father.

"Elsa…" Aphrodite whispered in full concern and shock.

* * *

Anna quickly pulled her arm away from Catherine's grasp. "Yeah I have a birthmark… So what!?"

"Back when I first saw you in the woods, I had my doubts. But while I was tending to you, I saw it!" Catherine explained and pointed at the birthmark. "And that only made me more skeptical about how crazy things had been!"

"I'm not the first one to ever have a birthmark!" Anna defended, starting to feel confused.

"But you are the first one to ever have the same exact one that my brother have; the 'psychotic' king whom you happen to hate!"

Anna's eyes grew wider, and for some reason she started to tremble. "What… W-What are you saying?!"

* * *

Elsa stared at the cellar door in disbelief. That was her mother's lullaby. How did she just hear her mother sing it from the other side of the door!?

_Mama!... It was mama! Mama's alive!_

Elsa started banging on the door. "Mama!" She called. "Mama, open the door! Please!" She pleaded.

_It was her! It was her!_

"Please, Mama! I won't hurt anyone!" She pleaded again and drummed and drummed on the door. "Please…"

All of a sudden, Elsa jumped in her place when she heard screams of horror from the outside. _What… What's going on?!_

"Mama?!" She called worriedly and put her ear on the cold metal so she could try to hear clearer.

She then jumped back when she heard that the locks of the door were opening. _It's her! _She was trembling with excitement to see her mother after all those years._ I didn't kill her I'm not a murderer! I'm not a murderer! Papa's gonna be proud of me! _She just couldn't get any happier.

The door opened, but Elsa's eyes widened in surprise. "Aiden?!"

Aiden stood panting in front of her. His spear was covered in blood and he had injuries here and there.

"What's going on?!" She asked with apprehension.

"We have to get out of here, Elsa! The fort is under attack and they are leaving no one alive!" He grabbed her hand and started pulling her behind him as he ran.

They got up the stairs, out of the dungeons and into the halls.

"Aiden, no! Wait!" She stopped him. "I heard, Mama! Mama's here, Aiden! I have to find her!" She pulled her hand out of his.

Suddenly soldiers appeared from the other end of the hall. Elsa knew it… Those were Arendelle's soldiers, and not only that, but she recognized one of them. He used to be one of those who were ordered by her father to mistreat her.

"There she is!" The recognized soldiers yelled while pointing at her.

Aiden turned at her and grabbed her from her shoulders. "Elsa, run! Do you hear me!? Whatever you do, DON'T look back! Just keep running and get out of here! GO!" He pushed her to the opposite side and away from the charging soldiers. "GO!" He yelled one last time.

Elsa then hesitantly started backing away before she decided to turn and run. Her heart beat faster and faster and faster. As she ran, she closed her eyes unable to see the bodies of both thieves and soldiers lying dead on the ground. She ignored them as hard as she could and ran just like what Aiden told her to do. _Mama… Anna… I'm scared! _She was breathing really heavily since she had never even ran this much.

Elsa saw the door that led outside and sprinted faster, stumbling on her weak legs as she did.

When she shoved the doors open, her eyes widened in horror. The villagers were running randomly in panic. Thieves and soldiers fought each other as hard as they could. Villagers screamed. Children cried. Some of the soldiers were mounted on horses as they set some of the village's shacks on fire.

_No…_

The entire atmosphere was colored with a yellow and orange hue of the monstrous flames that grew taller and taller, trying to reach the sky. The fire reflected in Elsa's eyes as she stood there, watching in dismay. The place where she once felt safe was being destroyed. _Please… stop…!_ She begged for the violence to end.

It was all too overwhelming. Innocent people; Man, woman and child were dying right in front of her eyes and she couldn't do anything but…

_Conceal it… Do you hear me?! CONCEAL IT!_

Her father's voice made her shiver and she clenched her gloved fists.

_Just keep running and get out of here! GO!_

She remembered Aiden's words. She gritted her teeth as she squeezed her teary eyes tight and ran through the chaos.

She tried her best to stay away from the fighting men. Sweat rushed to meet her body and she started to feel weak. She felt lost and scared and didn't know what to do. Her pace slowed down and she realized she wasn't going to make it out alive if she didn't hide somewhere.

She darted her head around, trying to find a safe place while she did her best to shut the havoc around her out. Finally, she found that the infirmary's building was still standing tall and since it was built with stones, it couldn't be so easily burnt. So she made a decision.

She ran straight to the infirmary. As she went in, she felt a bit at peace, since after clothing the doors behind her, the sounds of the mayhem outside became muffled. However, her feeling of quietude only lasted for a minute after turning into a complete dreadfulness by seeing the dead healers on the ground. She quickly closed her eyes, gripped her hair and ran deeper into the halls, trying to find a safe room.

Then she heard it.

People speaking inside of Leanna's room. Leanna who saved her life. Leanna who treated her so well. Leanna… Anna's mother… Wait… Anna?

If her father was mistaken about her mother's death… did that mean…?

"Anna..." She felt tears rush down to meet her cheeks, realizing that she was spending all that fun time with her one and only _alive_ and healthy sister. How couldn't she recognize her very own sister? Was it because of all the times she had spent in darkness and fear? Was it because her mind was playing tricks on her and making her firmly believe that her mother and sister were dead? She didn't know what was real or what was imaginary. Was it a dream? A nightmare? What the hell was going on?!

But if Leanna was Anna's mum… then…

Elsa gasped and her eyes shot wide. _Mama!_ She quickly ran to Leanna's— No. Her mother's room… Aphrodite. She remembered the name well. Aphrodite… NOT leanna. Aphrodite!

Elsa approached the doorway, eager to be reunited with her mother after so long. She just wanted to hug her forever and never let go. She wanted to embrace her mother and sister and cry and cry all her pain out until she didn't have any tears to shed.

Then she saw her. Yes. Her mother's face. Her mother's green beautiful eyes. Her mother's long dark brown hair. It was her and no one else but her beloved mother. "Mama…!" She said with joyful tears.

But for some reason her mother was staring at her with utter worry and shock and was only able to say: "Elsa…"

All of a sudden Elsa felt a sharp pain at the back of her head and she fell to her knees, the world around her spinning. She could hear her father's laugh and her mother's cry. But all the sounds were muffled somehow. _Pa—… Pa?..._ She felt confused and couldn't think straight. The room started to turn black and her mother's cries grew louder, calling her name over and over in concern.

Elsa then collapsed to the ground with the entire world turning black.

* * *

"Anna… please, try to calm down!" Kristoff said with concern all over his face by seeing how violently she was trembling.

"Y-You're not making any sense!" Anna yelled at the other strawberry blonde.

"You probably have a pretty thick skull, darling." Catherine was being harsh now so that the younger woman could finally wake up from the lie she was living. "You happen to have the same hair color as my brother and I." She huffed sarcastically, "You even have the same eye color."

Anna clutched her head and gritted her teeth, feeling a slight headache._ I don't understand! What is happening?! _She didn't know who to believe anymore.

Kristoff glared at the older woman. "Stop this nonsense! What are you doing to her?!"

"She's probably waking up from a _very_ long dream." Catherine deadpanned. "You know… Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want their illusions destroyed." She grabbed Anna by the collar, "You knew about it all, didn't you?! You just didn't want to face it. You said you found her in the dungeons. You want me to believe that you didn't sense _anything_ about her when you first saw her?!"

"I-I… I-I don't know!" Tears started to stream down Anna's face as realization slowly hit her.

"I don't know what sort of thing they used to make you forget all of this, but I know that somewhere deep inside you _do_ know!" Catherine said while shaking Anna's shoulders.

"Just stop it!" Anna shoved Catherine's hands away and hugged herself, her eyes wide in shock.

"That's enough! Just stop it! Leave her alone." Kristoff tried to shield her but Catherine gave him a look that clearly meant 'Stay out of it. It's for her own good.'

"Guess what, sweetheart?" Catherine started, "The psychotic king is your father! I am your aunt! And Elsa is your SISTER!"

"NO!" Anna shrieked.

Catherine grabbed her by the collar again. "Wake up, Anna of Arendeeeeeeelle!"

And just like that… A white flash exploded in Anna's eyes as old memories started to roll right in front of her eyes.

* * *

_She saw herself with a little girl with pale blonde hair and cyan eyes in a big room._

* * *

Anna gasped and got up from her bed stumbling as she felt dizzy.

* * *

_She saw a pale blonde with scars, laughing with her when she broke the bed._

* * *

Anna squeezed her eyes shut and clutched her head, but the flashbacks only kept coming and coming at an incredible speed.

* * *

_A pale blonde woman stiffly hugging her with a big smile on her face._

_A pale blonde little girl crying in the corner._

_A pale blonde hung up from the ceiling of a cellar._

'_Do the magic! Do the magic!'_

_A pale blonde little girl playing with blue flurries of snow around her hands._

* * *

Anna widened her eyes to try to actually see where she was but all she saw were the scenes of the past.

* * *

_A pale blonde little girl brushing her little sister's tears. _

'_Don't be scared, Anna. I'm here.'_

_A pale blonde building a snowman._

* * *

Anna fell to her knees and hands. "I'm scared…" She unknowingly whispered to herself as if she was just a little girl.

Kristoff wanted to rush to her side but Catherine stopped him with her arm on his chest. They watched in worry as the younger princess's eyes darted everywhere as if watching an invisible film.

* * *

_A pale blonde hugging her. _

'_I'll never let anyone hurt you. I promise.'_

* * *

Anna gripped her hair and put her forehead on the ground as the headache grew bigger and bigger and bigger.

* * *

_A pale blonde woman staring terrified at everyone in the room._

'_Don't worry we won't hurt you.'_

_A pale blonde with wounds on her back._

* * *

Anna's tears started streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry…!" She apologized for not being able to stop the torture that her sister had gone through.

She whimpered feeling that her head was about to explode. The scenes were flashing randomly. Some were about when she was small and young and others were about her recent life with Elsa. She didn't know where she was anymore. Her room. A castle. The stables. The fort.

Wait… A ballroom?

* * *

_A pale blonde creating snow cliffs in the ballroom as Anna jumped on each and every one of them._

_A pale blonde worriedly calling for her._

'_Anna!'_

* * *

Anna screamed, feeling that the headache was ripping apart her skull.

* * *

_A pale blonde._

_A pale blonde!_

_A PALE BLONDE!_

* * *

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"

A huge white flash lightened her mind and everything finally went silent as the visions finally subdued.

Anna was on her hands and knees, breathing heavily with sweat covering her entire body.

Kristoff and Catherine rushed to her side and kneeled down to check on her. They exchanged worried looks since Anna was still staring on the ground.

Their eyes widened however when Anna slowly lifted her head and stared at the window outside.

One single tear went down her cheek and she furrowed her eyebrows sadly. Her mouth slowly opened but all she was able to barely say was…

"Elsa . . . "

Her fists slowly clenched.

"My sister. . ."

* * *

**Oooooooh! O.O**

**What better music to hear when Anna's memories are being uncovered than _The Truth Unravels - Two Steps From Hell_ xD?**

**Review xD!**


	52. Back Behind Bars

**WARNING : VIOLENCE**

**HAPPY HALLOWEEN! XD**

* * *

The Ice Behind Bars  
Chapter LII: Back Behind Bars

A tremendous headache.

That's what she first felt when she started waking up.

Slowly, Elsa lifted her head off the ground and tried to look around. Her eyes were too blurry and everything was dark, so she was barely able to see a thing.

"My my…"

Elsa's eyes shot wide as she heard the poison-filled familiar voice. Her lip trembled and she slowly turned her head to see Mad standing right above her.

Elsa screamed in fear and crawled away as fast as she could, hearing the sounds of the rattling chains. She looked down to see her ankles cuffed and her wrists cupped by none other than the big shackles that she loathed so much. Her beautiful dress was gone and replaced by some old rags.

"It's been so long since I've seen this expression!" Mad said with an excited voice as he watched her petrified face. "This cellar has been empty for so long!" He waved his hands around then pointed at himself. "I… I even grew lonely hear…" He licked his lips and stared at her bare legs.

Elsa stared at him in horror, her entire body shaking. _No… No… Not again… NOT AGAIN! _

Mad started to laugh excitedly like a child, "Oh! We can play together again!" He laughed harder and harder like if he was the happiest man on earth, "The rituals! The experiments! The souls! Those beautiful screams! Ohhh they are like a harmonious SYMPHONYYYY!"

Elsa shook her head as fast as she could, pleading for him to stop. She remembered all the things he had forced her go through. She cowered, "No, please!"

_Not again!_

He clasped his hands together and inhaled deeply, "Music to my ears…" He whispered to himself, a joyful tear falling down his cheek. "The blood… the pain… Ohhh I just cannot wai—" His eyes suddenly widened and that only made Elsa's heart beat faster.

He was looking straight into her eyes with a maniac smirk. "Oh…?!" He said and started approaching her.

Elsa gasped and squeezed her back to the wall, trying to stay as far away from him as she could.

"What do we have here?!" He asked and knelt in front of her, leaning his head closer and closer to look into her eyes. "It's been so longsince I've seen _you_ here!"

Elsa tensed up, "I-I'm sorry… M-Mad… I… I didn't know… T-The way back!" She tried to defend.

Mad lifted an eyebrow at her, "Oh, I'm not talking to _you_."

Elsa felt confused, "W-What…?"

"I'm talking to your anger." He clarified yet Elsa only felt more confused.

"I… I-I don't—"

"You don't understand because you're nothing but an idiot as always." He insulted, tapping the top of her head mockingly. "It's just a side of you that was created. All of your hatred and rage simply decided to store themselves in an alter of yours." He shrugged. "Nevertheless, I'm surprised you haven't killed everyone at that stinky thief's fort. Something's… _different_ about you…"

_What is he talking about?!_ Elsa just decided to stay silent.

He rubbed his chin, "I thought that I had gotten rid of you long ago when you were young." He chuckled and pulled up his sleeve. "I think you remember this very well, don't you?" He showed her his missing hand.

Elsa looked away. She did remember the day she woke up to find out that she had caused Mad to lose a hand. It made her feel horrible back on that day, especially after she was chastised by her Papa's special ways.

Mad stared at her with a bored frown. "Oh well… since you don't wanna show me yourself, I guess I should just head out to see… the _other_ bunch of idiots that we captured." He turned and started walking away.

Elsa's eyes widened. _Mama!_

"Mad, wait!" She lifted her hand and he stopped in his tracks. Elsa lifted her shoulders and hesitated, not knowing that Mad was actually smirking.

He was glade that his plan was working.

Elsa gulped, "I…" She bit her lip and clenched her fists. She was utterly nervous. "I-I saw Mama, Mad… I really saw her! And-and Anna! They're alive, Mad! They're—"

"Alive?!" He turned and said it in fake surprise but then he smirked at her, "Oh dear, dear, Monster…"

Elsa flinched.

He started slowly walking towards her. "Your mama is no longer here." He confessed.

Elsa went paler than ever as her eyes slowly went wide. The news came clashing like a sword to the heart, causing the room to get colder.

"Wha—… What are you… Saying?" Elsa felt strange.

"I had _a lot _of fun with her." He laughed, "I chained her on the table and she started screaming 'Help me! Help me, Elsa! Help me!'" He mockingly said while mimicking a woman's voice.

Elsa's pupil started to get smaller and smaller with each step he took and her fists clenched so hard inside the shackles, that blood started oozing out as her nails dug into her palm.

_Shut up…_

Mad's smirk grew as he saw the look of sheer shock on her face. "You should have seen the look on her face!"

_Shut up…!_

He looked around and saw that ice started covering the room, and that made him satisfied. "I started with your mama…" He lifted one finger, "then her friends…" he lifted another.

_Shut up! _Elsa felt her blood boil.

"Wanna know what I did?" He was two meters away.

Tears started streaming down Elsa's face as her heart broke in two. After so long she finally got to see her mum, only for Mad to say…

"Chop . . . Chop . . . Chop . . ."

"SHUT UUUUUUUUUP!" Elsa exploded in rage as she lunched at him with a right uppercut to the head that sent him flying from one side of the room to the other, at what seemed like the speed of light.

His body smashed the opposite wall, almost making the entire room shake, and he slid to the floor like a sack of potatoes.

The shackles and chains around her hands shattered as ice shot everywhere from her glowing hands.

Before Mad could sit up, she grabbed him by his throat and pinned him to the ground. "I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!" She sat above him and started punching his face violently over and over and over and over until there were no yellow teeth left. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you! You bastard! I'LL KILL YOUUUU!"

Blood started coming out of Mad's nose, ears and mouth as she punched with both hands using an incredible strength.

"MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!" She shrieked with fury.

Her face was contorted in an all - consuming wrath; her nostrils flaring, her incredibly wide eyes flashing and glowing, her mouth quivering and drooling. All her words that were unintelligible came spewing into space like a volcano releasing its pent up emotions into the darkness.

"Damn you!"

She punched using both hands while they're clasped together.

"Damn you!"

Again…

"DAMN YOUUU!"

It was a terrifying sight.

After a while she stopped the punching and started choking him as she breathed heavily. "I'll NEVER forgive you!" She said through gritted teeth.

Mad spat blood and tried his best to stay awake.

But Elsa was shocked when all of a sudden he started laughing like the crazy necromancer he was.

"Y-Yes!... So you've finally decided… to s-show yourself!" He said happily and coughed. "I guess… the link _was _unstable."

Elsa groaned in rage and punched him again to shut him up.

Mad's bloody face turned violently to the side but that only made him chuckle which didn't calm the pale blonde at all.

"It's funny… I'm still alive!" He slowly turned his head to look at her, "You've grown soft! Was it because of those idiots back at the fort? Cause if it was the same _you_ from a few years back, not me nor those thieves nor anyone in this god damn kingdom would have been alive right now!"

"I said, SHUT UP!" Elsa created four big spikes of ice and sent them towards Mad.

Mad screamed in pain as two of the spikes impaled his arms and the other two impaled his legs, making him bleed everywhere.

"Yes… Scream… Scream you god damn pig! Scream!" Elsa shouted with a smirk.

However…

Mad squealed with joy so her smirk twisted back into a sneer.

"SHUT UUUPPP!"

All of a sudden ice surrounded Mad's legs and…

He shrieked as his legs got literally pulled out from his body.

"OOOOOHHH! Such. Great. P-POWER!" He inhaled loudly, "I still remember the day you were created!" He looked like a total maniac with those wide excited eyes and that huge grin. "You were hit with your own powers on your head, isn't that right?!"

Elsa had enough. She put both of her hands on his chest. "Maaaaaddd…." She warned.

"I wonder what would have happened if it was YOUR HEART INSTEAD!"

"MAAAAAAAAAAAD!" Elsa let out as spikes exploded out of Mad's body, sending bits of iced flesh and blood everywhere, and turning this cellar into a real red hellhole.

Blood covered Elsa's entire body; her face, her hands, her legs, her hair. But for the first time ever…

It wasn't _her_ blood.

After calming down, she sat on the ground, staring at the corpse— or what was left of it— with a nonchalant face.

She lifted a hand and put it over her chest and gripped the rags hard.

_If it was my heart…?_

She knew all too well.

* * *

"Aphrodite… Aphrodite!"

Aphrodite slowly opened her eyes only to see a worried injured Brandon in front of her.

Her eyes widened and she quickly lifted herself up, feeling dizzy.

"Hey, now, slow down…!" Brandon said as he held her straight.

Aphrodite put a hand on her forehead, feeling lightheaded. "What… happened?"

Brandon's face went sad. He lowered his head in shame and didn't dare make eye contact. "We're… We're in Arendelle."

Aphrodite's eyes shot wide and she looked around, realizing she was in one of the cellars in the dungeons of Arendelle.

She got up and ran unsteadily to the bars, gripping the metal. She saw many cellars and each one of them was full of prisoners. Some in which were familiar. She first saw Aiden and Rapunzel in the one right opposite her own. "Aiden… Rapunzel! Are you alright!?"

Aiden was holding the bars tight with an angry yet sad look on his face, almost as if he was… crying?

Aphrodite's face turned worried. "Rapunzel…?"

Rapunzel sat in the corner of the cellar, her face overwhelmed with despair.

Aphrodite noticed someone was missing. "Where's Flynn?" She asked.

Aiden punched the bars, making Aphrodite jump. Rapunzel looked away, hugging herself more and holding back her tears.

Aphrodite's eyes slowly widened in realization. _No…_ She turned her head and looked inside every single cellar.

She saw some of the villagers and even Bulda.

She saw a boy crying for becoming an orphan.

"Nolan?" She called.

Little Nolan. The baker's boy. She knew him well. His father was a very nice man.

She then saw a woman silently weeping for becoming a widow.

"Waela?"

Waela. Her friend. Her assistant.

Then a couple crying for losing a child.

Aphrodite shook her head, trying not to believe her eyes.

And some thieves mourning for losing their comrades.

She knew all of them, yet none were happy and optimistic like how she used to see them.

There were so many others whom faces were gripped with fear, despair and anguish. The screams of their dying families and friends, and the horrors of watching their home's destruction were haunting their pale faces.

Aphrodite's heart sank as she realized the huge amount of losses and horrors that everyone became victim to. Tears slowly streamed down her face.

She was their leader. She was their healer. She was their protector. Yet she wasn't able to save anyone… Not even her daughter. She slowly slid down and sat on the ground. _Elsa… _

"So you've finally realized the mistake you've done."

Aphrodite's eyes widened and she turned to see…

"T-Tyler…?" Her voice was shaking.

Tyler sat in the corner of the very same cellar, leaning his back to the cold hard wall. He had injuries all over; scratches, cuts, bruises. The scene was almost familiar. He had a bloody bandage over his left eye. He was breathing heavily almost as if he was barely alive.

"But it wasn't your fault…" Tyler's face suddenly went sad. "But mine…" He clenched his fist. "It was all my fault…"

"You damn, bastard…" Brandon ran at him and grabbed him from the collar of his shredded shirt. "You betrayed every single one of us!" He punched him hard, yet Tyler didn't resist. "Why did you do this, huh?!" Brandon punched him again.

Tyler didn't dare make eye contact. "Cause I'm a coward."

Brandon's eyes widened. He groaned in anger and let him go. "You damn sure are."

Tyler lowered his head. "I'm sorry."

"Well 'sorry' isn't going to turn back time or bring people back from the dead now would it?!" Brandon yelled.

"If only I'd realized what a demon he was." He referred to the king. "I'm surprised your daughter still had some sanity in her."

Aphrodite looked away and tried to hold back a sob, but her eyes widened when he said…

"She's brave." He suddenly confessed. "After living with him for so long and still being able to smile…" He sighed and put his head in his hands. "I envy her… I really do."

Aphrodite whispered something but Brandon wasn't able to hear it. "What?" He kneeled next to her, trying to give her SOME comfort.

"Where is she?" She asked.

Brandon looked away then pointed at the end of the dungeon corridor.

Aphrodite nearly sobbed for knowing that her daughter was locked away behind that horrific thick metal door like some sort of beast.

"Your… Your highness… Is that… really you?"

Aphrodite heard the familiar voice. She turned and saw the one and only Kai. She didn't recognize him before, since he was way thinner than how fat he used to be. "Kai!"

"Oh, your highness! It's really you!" He nearly cried with joy. "You're alive!" But he suddenly realized something. "But… Why… Why are you in here, your majesty!?"

Aphrodite looked away and didn't reply.

Kai felt confused, "His majesty should be so relieved—"

"His _majesty _was the one who threw me here, Kai!" She confessed, shocking him.

The dungeon's main door suddenly opened and everyone turned to see the king step in.

Aphrodite wasn't so surprised to see that some of the old prisoners backed away from the bars and hid in the corners in fear.

_What Hell have you created, Jamie?!_

"I see everyone is enjoying their time?" He mocked as he walked gracefully through the corridor.

Aphrodite sneered at him. "Let these people go, Jamie. They've done nothing wrong!" She waved towards the fort's villagers.

"No?!" He asked. "Oh but they did…"

Aphrodite shook her head, "Why are you doing this, Jamie!?"

Before Aphrodite knew it, the king's fist came clashing with her face, sending her backwards. He approached the bars of her cellar. "It's 'your majesty' you filthy bit—"

Brandon smashed the king's face with his own knuckle, sending him falling backwards. "Don't you dare touch her again!" He yelled.

Aphrodite quickly stood on her feet and wiped away the blood at the corner of her mouth. "Brandon, no! Stay out of this!" She pulled him away. "Please…" She gave him a worried look.

Brandon's angry face softened and he sighed, seeing the sincere look of concern she was giving him. He knew that she didn't want him to get hurt.

Yet he had the same feelings for her.

"Why you…!" The king stood. "You'll be the first to dangle from the gallo—"

All of a sudden everyone turned when they heard the angry yells of a raging Elsa.

Aphrodite gasped and ran to the bars to try to see well.

"What's going on?" Someone asked.

The dungeons got colder and everyone looked around as frost started forming around the walls of the entire dungeons.

"Elsa!?" Aphrodite called, but she was sure that her daughter couldn't hear her through her angry yells. "Don't you DARE hurt her!" She snarled at Jamie.

Everyone got more fearful when the frost turned to thick ice. There were even spikes in some of the corners.

They could all hear Mad laugh.

The king facepalmed. _What are you doing you crazy old fool? _He started walking towards the door when suddenly everyone yelped when they heard an explosion that made the dungeons shake.

The king tried to steady himself.

"What the hell…?" Aiden whispered.

Then suddenly everything inside Elsa's cellar went silent and the king knew that the old man was a goner.

* * *

"Anna, what are you doing?! You can't leave in this condition!" Kristoff said, trying to stop the strawberry blonde in her place while she was gathering her stuff.

"I found my sister, Kristoff!" She shut him up.

Kristoff was taken aback by seeing the sad look on her face.

Anna sighed. "I found _Elsa_..." She put the bag over her back. "I wanna see her, Kristoff… I wanna see her after so long…"

"But… But it's been only a few days! You have to rest now!"

Anna lowered her head. "Somehow… it feels like it's been decades, Kristoff." She honestly said.

"Well!"

They both turned to look at Catherine with a confused look.

"Since you two are going… I always hated being so lonely." She gathered her stuff and put them in a bag. "So that's why I think it's time for me to meet my second niece, too." She smiled, put her the bag over her shoulder and gave them a thumb up.

_And it's time for me to go home._

* * *

The cellar's door opened and Elsa turned with huge wide eyes of fury.

"You…!" Her voice trembled with the irrational wrath she was holding back.

The king stood calmly at the door with his stoic and calm expression.

Without wasting any minute, Elsa lunged at him, creating an ice spike around her hand. "YOUU!"

But the king just stood there unmoved by the scene. He simply lifted his right palm and removed the bandage.

"YOU MONSTER!" She screamed and thrusted her spike-conjuring hand towards his throat, but…

Elsa's eyes widened in shock when her body suddenly froze, the sharp tip of the spike only inches away from her father's throat.

_I can't… move!_

She used all her willpower to try to move her hand and shove the spike up his throat but all her arm did, was tremble. "What did you… do?!" She snarled at him.

The king had his hand up and he simply smirked.

Elsa nearly gasped by seeing the shining dark cyan mark on his palm.

He shook his head in amusement. "Do you know what's that, Monster?"

All of a sudden Elsa's arm moved on its own accord and she found her hand moving away from her father's throat and towards hers!

Elsa gritted her teeth, trying her best to resist. "Is this one of your pig's tricks?!" She referred to Mad.

The king calmly looked around the bloody room and noticed the remains of Mad's body. _Looks like I need a new necromancer._

"You need a lot of manner lessons, Monster." He squeezed his hand and Elsa gasped feeling an immense pain in her entire body.

She groaned and fell to the ground on her knees, the ice melting around her.

"Thanks to Mad, I can easily control _you_, Elsa." He said while admiring his hand. "However… There's a cost you have to pay for you to have such power. I sacrificed my hand and now I'm cursed to have this mark that keeps scorching my palm whenever I use it."

"Don't… refer to me… as that… weakling COWARD!" Elsa yelled, talking about her other innocent side.

"Oh?" The king raised an eyebrow and knelt to her eye level. "But you two are the same person, are you not?"

Elsa spat in his face. "If you didn't have… that power of yours… I would have clawed… your eyes out by now!... As for _her_…!" She said it with disgust, "All you need… is a whip… and your poisonous words…" She struggled against this strange dark magic. "And she'll be kissing your sorry ass like the stupid slave she is!" She snarled. "I'm nothing like her!"

The king simply wiped away the saliva. He lifted his hand and sent it flying towards her cheek, sending her splashing on the puddle of blood. "The day you dissociated, Mad realized how dangerous you were and he told me all about you. He said that he had a way to control you and send you back into the depth of your mind, and that it will stay this way as long as the link between us is unscathed."

"The link…?" She asked, glaring daggers at him.

He showed her his cursed hand. "This kind of magic only works between people with the same bloodlines. With this power I'll be the hero to save Arendelle from your desire for vengeance. However," He started walking around her, "The day Elsa escaped from here, the link became weak as she went farther away from me. Therefore your mind became unstable, flipping back and forth between you two. So in the end, the alter—_you_—… was back." He explained.

"You will pay for everything you've done to me…" Elsa vowed.

"So will you." He said and lifted his right palm, the mark shining again.

Elsa gasped, gripped her head in pain and started screaming.

"I'll send you back to where you belong." He said and smirked. "I'll make sure to punish that beast for even running away."

Elsa tried to struggle and struggle but she knew that it was all in vain. She was only able to lift her head and glare at him, "You think you're the only one who learned tricks from Mad?" She smirked, seeing how the mark was hurting him just like he said. "That little thing?" She chuckled mockingly as she looked at the mark, "Wait and see till I show you _my_ trick…"

The king ignored her and only allowed the mark's power to flow stronger.

Elsa screamed again and felt as if her body weighted tones.

After a moment, Elsa stopped screaming. She breathed heavily as she shakily lifted her head to stare at him in confusion.

"Papa…?"

The king smirked.

* * *

**Action baby! xD**

**Check out the scene on my deviantart Lany19. It's the scene between Elsa and Mad and i've drawn it for you so that you'll know how bad things were xD**

**Guys I really recommend that you understand every single word and PAY…ATTENTION from this chapter and on okidoki?**

**Review! xD**


	53. Hollow

The Ice Behind Bars  
Chapter LIII: Hollow

"Papa?"

The king smirked for a brief moment but quickly gave her a serious look. For some reason, he was unmoved by such gore. "Look what you have done, Monster." He said while pointing at Mad's corpse.

Elsa darted her head around and yelped when she saw the puddle of blood she was in. She quickly crawled away but blood was everywhere and she just couldn't escape the truth.

"You killed him, Elsa… You killed, Mad."

_No!_ Elsa stared at her trembling bloody hands; her guilty hands.

"Can't you see?" He started walking around her. "You're a monster. You are dangerous." He put his hand on his chest apologetically, "I am sorry… But I cannot allow you to ever be free."

Elsa just couldn't believe it. He had promised her that if she would ever be a good girl, he would someday set her free and allow her to live in the castle. But right now, all her dreams of ever being free were gone.

"But… B-But… I-I didn't do this!" She desperately defended, not being able to remember when she killed Mad. "It wasn't me!"

"It WAS you!" He yelled, making her cower. "Look at all this hell you've created! You think your mother would have loved a monster like you?!"

Elsa's eyes widened. "Papa wait! I d-didn't kill Mama and Anna! I swear! They're alive, Papa! I-I saw them!"

"Oh I know…"

Elsa was surprised.

"They told me everything." He smirked, having an idea in his head.

"T-Then we can be a family again, Papa! You can be happy, right!?" She was smiling, feeling optimistic. They would finally be able to live as a happy family.

"Family?!" He exclaimed in fake surprise. "Do you even _know_ why your mother and sister were hiding all these years?!"

"W-What?" Elsa felt confused.

"Do you know why your mother didn't want to show herself to you?!"

Tyler sure had to tell him everything, but the king was adding details of his own.

Elsa's lip started to tremble, knowing where this was going.

"They _feared _you! They knew of what a monster you were! Your mother just told me that she hated you and regretted the moment she even gave birth to you! She was so scared of you and didn't trust you, that she took Anna and fled away so that you wouldn't be the beast you are and hurt them again!"

Elsa's eyes were wide with shock. She lowered her head and stared at the ground, completely speechless. Her heart shattered with each confession he made. Each time he spoke was like a sharp cold knife to the stomach.

"They have always hated you, Elsa." He approached her and knelt next to her, brushing her hair. "I was the only one who ever truly cared about you. I tried my best to make a human out of you. But…" He sighed, "It seems that it isn't possible."

_Mama… Anna… They hate me!_

"Your mother and sister are quite mean. They were so selfish and just left you just because you were a freak?!" He was acting as if he was sympathizing with her.

_Freak…?! _Silent tears streamed down her face like waterfalls and she felt a big lump in her throat.

_Why did you lie to me!?_

"They were both scared of you and that's why they told me to keep you in the dungeons and never let you out. They even told me to punish you for all the sins you've made." He leaned closer to her ear and whispered…

"You are _hated_. You will never have friends. You will never have a family. No one will ever love you. You are a monster, Elsa. A monster. Monsters are evil and cruel. _Nobody_ can ever love them. They are murderers. Demons that walk the earth. Do you hear me?"

Elsa's mind couldn't handle it anymore. The pain. The betrayal. She was hated. Even by her own mother and sister; the ones she loved so much. Yet _they_ never exchanged the same feelings back. They just dreaded and loathed her. After everything they've told her about how much they loved her?

All a lie.

Elsa suddenly felt numb. Something was wrong. She couldn't feel a thing. No pain. No sorrow. No anger. Simply… Nothing.

Hollow.

She had no hope for anything anymore.

Utter despair.

Even the last tiny bit of hope she had for having a family was vanished. She finally accepted who and what she was. She wasn't going to cry anymore— No… Maybe she _wasn't_ able to cry anymore. Monsters don't feel sadness or pain, right?

_No friends… no family… hated… feared…_

Her expression suddenly went blank and she didn't dare remove her eyes off the ground. For monsters should always keep their shameful head down. She was a criminal and she should be punished for her crimes.

The king smiled in pride by seeing how he finally tamed the beast. He couldn't help but feel satisfied by seeing her completely broken expression. "It's time for you to be condemned in front of everyone in the kingdom. You shall be judged for your crimes, Monster."

Elsa didn't flinch. Didn't cower. She simply nodded. "Yes, Sir."

Even the king was taken aback by this reaction. She had always called him 'Papa'. He smirked widely in triumph. Even though the chains around her ankle and wrists were broken, he knew he didn't need them anymore, for he had his invisible cruel chains on her mind.

"Now…" The king started then suddenly his foot came smashing with her face, sending her to the cold hard ground. "This is for running away."

Elsa didn't react. She grunted as her body hit the floor, then simply sat back up, and wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth.

The king waited for her to do something. Anything. A sign of anger. A sign of sadness. Even some frost or ice. But…

Nothing.

"I'm… sorry, Sir." She said, her tone of voice betraying any sign of emotion.

The king stood proud and tall in front of her, puffing his chest and smirking in victory. Maybe her escape was beneficial. Now he was certain that she hated her mother's guts and loathed her sister more than anything. "Justice will be served tomorrow at dawn in front of the entire kingdom, for it's time for you to face the consequences of your wrongdoings."

Elsa nodded calmly, having no expression on her face.

The king opened the door and turned his back on her, "Elsa…" He called and she simply gave him a cold emotionless look in response.

"Who are you?" He asked.

Elsa's eyes moved down back to the ground. "Monster."

"What do you do?" He asked again.

"I'm a murderer." She replied.

"Where do you belong?"

"A cage."

"Who do you love?"

The room went silent for a moment then…

"No one."

He then closed the door and locked it, leaving his daughter with a devastated state of mind and a shattered heart.

If he had turned to look at her one last time, he would have seen her venomous and wicked smirk.

* * *

He walked in the middle of the halls with his hands folded behind his back and stood right in front of Aphrodite's cellar. He looked down on her as she sneered at him.

"What did you do now?" She asked.

He gave her a smirk. "You'll see… I'll make you watch." He vaguely said then walked away, leaving a bewildered Aphrodite.

"You'll _all_ see…" He grimly said before he closed the dungeon doors behind him.

* * *

Anna collapsed on her knees the moment her eyes laid on the ruins of what used to be her home.

"W—… W-What happened?" She whispered to the cold air.

In front of her was nothing but chaos. The entire fort lied dead in a grey and foggy ambience. Small pieces of ashes were still hovering around like tiny wisps.

"Well…" Catherine started as she scratched her head. "And I thought _my_ home was a mess."

Kristoff gave her a look that totally meant 'Please, shut up.'

Anna then got up and ran through the streets. "Mum!?... Elsa?!... Anybody?!" Her eyes shot wider as she passed the dead bodies on the ground.

Some were bloody and clearly showed that there was a fight. Others were buried under the collapsed buildings. Some were even completely burnt, that Anna wasn't even able to recognize for whom the bodies belonged to.

Kristoff and Catherine followed.

"Let's split up. Look for any survivors." Kristoff suggested.

Catherine nodded.

Anna ran and ran until she reached the only building that was intact.

The infirmary.

"Mum!" She called and ran inside.

She gasped, seeing the dead healers scattered all over the place as her breath trembled by witnessing the massacre.

_How did this happen?! Who did all this?!_

She ran to her mother's room but found no one inside. For some reason she felt a bit relieved.

_Where are they?! Where are they!? God, please tell me they're unharmed!_

Then she remembered.

"Elsa!"

She ran out of the infirmary and headed straight to the chamber's building.

She stopped dead in her tracks, seeing it was nothing but a pile of rocks.

"Elsa!" She screamed and rushed to the pile where their room was. She started digging between the rubble like crazy, shoving and throwing every rock she could lift. "I'm coming, Elsa! Just hold on." She was clearly becoming delusional after seeing all those horrors. For some reason, she could feel as if her sister was under that rubble that somehow gave her a sense that there was a sign of life underneath it.

She removed one last stone before she stood there frozen in astonishment. "Elsa's rose…?"

The rose stood their unscathed between all that rubble, glowing beautifully and emitting an aura sound; the light growing then dimming continuously. However, the rose was half red, half blue.

"What…?" Anna whispered to herself, gazing at the magnificence in front of her.

She slowly lifted her arms and leaned her hands forward to touch it.

The moment the tip of her finger touch one of the rose's shining petals, the aura exploded, sending a light so bright it blinded Anna's eyes completely.

Everything suddenly went silent. Anna found herself staring into utter darkness.

"Where… where am I?"Her thoughts echoed in the black. "What… happened?" Her lips were not even moving. Yet she was able to hear her own thoughts all loud and clear.

_Save her._

She suddenly heard a woman say. "What?... Who is this? What do you want?!"

_You have to save her!_

Anna was confused. "Where are you?! Who are you!?"

_There's no time . . . Listen . . ._

All of a sudden a rose grew in the middle of the darkness. It was the same rose. Half red… Half blue.

_She has two different fates. _

_Anna! _That was another voice… Familiar one.

_She'll either become the kingdom's greatest threat, and create fear and destruction in the world—_

_Anna! Wake up!_

"Kristoff…?" Anna muttered, but the woman continued.

—_Or become the one who shall save the kingdom and grow to become a worthy queen to triumph in her rule._

"Elsa?..." Anna asked.

_The more red the rose becomes, the more her lust for blood grows. . . ._

Anna stared at the rose as the red color started spreading wider and wider around the rose.

_Save her… or she'll become the demon you'll all dread._

"ANNA!"

Anna's eyes shot open and she found herself staring at the raining sky.

"Are you okay?!" Kristoff worriedly said before he helped her sit up.

"I…" Anna muttered, bewildered.

"What happened?! I just found you here lying unconscious next to this!" He pointed at the rose.

Anna quickly turned and stared at the rose in shock. "What…? But… But it was glowing!" She carefully picked it up and feared the worst. The rose was mostly red and the blur color was barely visible.

"Anna there's no time for this. You have to come with me! Quickly!" His face showed full concern and horror.

Anna looked back at him.

"It's Flynn…" He gulped. "I found him."

In the way he forced himself to say the words, Anna knew something was horribly wrong.

* * *

Catherine walked in the foggy village, trying to search for any sign of life.

_What the hell happened here?_

A cold drop of water fell on her cheek, and she looked up to see the cloudy sky. "Rain?"

Drops fell one after the other before the rest started falling simultaneously.

Catherine put the hood on and continued walking through the village.

She suddenly heard a soft cough.

She turned around and saw a little girl lying on her stomach in the middle of the mud; her little dress all dirty and messy, and blood pooling from her head.

Catherine silently gasped before she sprinted towards her. "Hey!" She kneeled next to her and started examining her. "Can you hear me, Sweetheart? Stay with me!" She turned the girl on her back and prompted her little head on her lap.

The girl coughed again.

Catherine gritted her teeth angrily. _Some bastard must have hit her on her head._

Catherine quickly started pulling her medical kit out of her satchel. "You have to stay with me, sweetheart, okay?! What's your name?"

The little girl's eyelids blinked repeatedly before she slowly opened her tired eyes. "Zo—… Zoey."

"Okay, Zoey! You're gonna be okay, now, alright sweetheart?" Catherine said before she started bandaging the little girl's head. "Zoey… Do you know where your parents are?" She asked trying to keep her awake.

"Dead." Zoey blurted, her face growing woeful.

Catherine was taken aback. _Just as I thought._

Zoey squeezed her eyes tight, letting tears stream down her face. "He killed them… He killed them!" She started freaking out. "He said he's gonna kill us all! He's gonna kill us all!"

"Calm down, sweetheart!" Catherine knew the girl was completely traumatized from the events that had happened here. Not to mention witnessing her parents' death.

"It's okay! It's okay! Zoey! Stop! You're safe! I'm a friend!" She tried to stop her from thrashing but Zoey was completely losing it.

"God dammit…" Catherine cursed herself then quickly pulled a small vial with a transparent liquid in it from her pocket. "Drink this sweetheart, It'll help you calm down." Catherine had to use a bit of force to keep her still so that she could help her drink the vial. "That's it… All of it, now." Catherine said with a gentle smile. "Nice and easy."

After a moment, Zoey calmed down and became sleepy.

"Alright, let's get you out of here." Catherine then removed her poncho and put it around Zoey. She then helped her up gently and carried her on her back. "Hold on tight now." Catherine gently said.

Zoey tiredly nodded and put her hands around Catherine's neck.

Catherine then continued walking, looking around for any other survivors.

"What's… your name?" Zoey suddenly asked.

Catherine looked from behind her shoulder and smiled. "Catherine… My name's Catherine. But you can call me Caty."

Zoey squeezed her hands more around Catherine's neck and rested her head on this stranger's shoulder. "Thank you, Caty."

Catherine was taken aback. She chuckled a bit then spoke.

"Don't mention it. Rest now, little one… The nightmare is finally over."

If only she knew better.

* * *

"Flynn!" Anna screamed in horror as she rushed to his side.

His lower body was under the big boulders of the ruins of the fort.

He coughed blood then smiled. "H-Hey…"

"Don't 'Hey' me, dammit!" She scolded but he chuckled. "Kristoff, help me lift this off of him."

Kristoff rushed to help her. "On three."

They both prepared themselves to lift the big boulder.

"One… Two…" Kristoff started. "Three!"

They started using their entire strength to try and lift this big heavy thing off of him.

"A-Anna…" Flynn called, knowing it was all in vain.

Anna tried even more, her face scrunched in a grimace.

"Anna…!" Flynn called again.

Tears streamed down Anna's face as realization hit her. She knew there was no way to remove this boulder but she just had to try. "Just… shut up and let us help you!" She yelled in despair.

"H-Hey, hey…" Flynn grabbed her ankle, finally stopping her.

Anna panted and gritted her teeth, not daring to look at him.

"There's no hope for me, Anna…" He smiled, trying to reassure her that everything was fine despite the obvious opposite. "My lower body… I can't even feel it, anymore."

Kristoff looked away, gritting his teeth angrily at himself for failing to save his friend.

Flynn coughed blood. "L-Listen . . . to me."

Anna hesitantly turned her head to look at him, tears flowing down her face while the rain soaked her hair and clothes.

"You have to . . . save them." Flynn tried to explain.

Anna knelt to hear him better.

"The king of . . . Arendelle . . . He . . . attacked us . . . and took Rapunzel . . . E-Elsa . . . and the others."

Anna's eyes slowly widened in shock. This time, it wasn't just 'the king of Arendelle'. No— It was her own father.

"Anna . . ." Flynn winced in pain. "You . . . Have to know this." He coughed again, his vision fading. "E-Elsa . . . She's your—"

"I know." Anna cut him off, trying her best to smile, but failing.

Flynn smiled in relief and sighed. "That's . . . great to hear."

He shakily turned his head to Kristoff. "Hey, man . . . Don't tell me . . . you're gonna cry . . . too." He joked.

Kristoff chuckled, trying to hide his sadness.

"I leave my family's . . . safety in your hands, you hear?" Flynn said and winked, "They are your family . . . too, anyway. Protect them . . . with your life . . . Like I did."

Kristoff smiled and grabbed his hand. "I promise."

Flynn realized that he could no longer feel his body and he had little time left. "Anna . . . one last thing . . . come closer."

Anna leaned down, her ear right next to his mouth.

He whispered something in her ear but Kristoff wasn't able to hear a thing in all this rain and thunder, but he was surprised when Anna's eyes slowly widened in shock.

"That's my last wish." Flynn said with a smile.

Anna, still shocked, slowly leaned back and stared at him in disbelief.

Flynn winked at her then shakily used his last strength to barely lift his hand.

Anna quickly held his hand tight in her own.

"We fight . . . for the weak." Flynn started chanting their guild's motto.

Anna couldn't help but cry now. "W-We steal from the wealthy…" She sobbed.

"We give the needy." They both said in unison.

"In people's eyes," Flynn continued.

"We're thieves," Anna sobbed again, putting a hand on her mouth.

"but in God's…"

Flynn's hand went limp, his lifeless eyes staring at the sky.

"W-We're heroes." She finished, her voice cracking. She then leaned forward and hugged his limp body tightly, tears rushing down her face.

"I promise!"

She vowed.

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Remember, your majesty… the bigger the mark, the stronger you are." Mad informed._

_The king stared at the mark on his hand._

"_Despite how big the mark on your palm is, I don't consider this ritual as a successful one. Trust me, I've seen _**way**_ better results." Mad smirked._

"_What do you mean by that, you old fool?" The king asked, feeling skeptical._

"_I'm just glad you survived the ritual, your majesty. Many couldn't. Throughout my entire life, only three were able to overcome the ritual's pain. _You_ are one of them."_

"_And who were the others?" The king lifted an eyebrow at him._

"_You don't have to concern yourself with these things. Now remember… there's a cost for having such power. Don't use it too often." Mad shook his finger in a 'No'. "Or else you'll lose your precious hand."_

_Mad walked towards the door. "One last thing your majesty…" He turned at him. "If you ever end up seeing a person with more of these..." He pointed at the king's palm. "Don't try to fight them back. Just run for your life."_

* * *

"Your Majesty." A man called, bringing him back from his thoughts.

"She's still out there." The king said.

"Would you like us to take care of her in our way, your majesty?" One brute man with a long and thick beard and a scar across his face said.

The king shook his head in amusement. "You mercenaries… always as barbaric as ever. We don't need to resort to violence just yet."

"You promised me money. I promised you blood." The leader of the mercenaries said.

"True…" The king stared at the window. "But we don't have to go out and find her."

"Why not?" The mercenary was losing his patience.

The king smirked. "Cause she'll find _us_."

The mercenary smirked along and laughed eagerly. "Then we can kill?"

"tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk…" The king tsked. "Your job is to stay put until I tell you to do otherwise."

The mercenary groaned in irritation.

"As for little Anna… Someone is _very_ eager to see her."

"And who's that?" Asked confused.

The king turned at him, "Someone who only seeks blood… Someone who doesn't care about anything anymore… Someone who has no hope. No love. No friends…"

"Pity." The mercenary rolled his eyes.

"I suggest you wear something that will keep you… Warmer." The king sarcastically said.

"I think my outfit is good enough."

"Oh trust me… Things are about to turn _really_ cold." He turned away from the mercenary and walked towards the door. "A big storm is coming… And It will unleash hell upon my enemies and those who disobey me."

* * *

Humming.

She crouched in the middle of the cellar, humming the song of the lullaby she loved; a smirk across her lips.

Her head was tilted a bit to the side with one hand on her cheek and the elbow on her knee. Her other hand was busy drawing circles in the puddle of blood on the ground, amusing her in this boring empty cold cell.

She finished humming and closed her eyes for a bit. "You look pale." She teased.

She opened her eyes and calmly turned to look left. "You should see the look on your face… Priceless." She chuckled.

"You… have something there." She tapped her own cheek to clarify where the blood stain was.

She didn't get any answer.

She stood and walked towards the person she was talking to. She kneeled, "Let me wipe that off for you." She licked her thumb and started rubbing the stain of blood off his cheek. "There."

She frowned getting no answer again. "I'm surprised you haven't said anything yet. That mouth of yours used to taunt me a lot."

No answer.

She sighed then stood, turning away and walking towards the puddle of blood she was having fun with. She crouched again and continued drawing circles. "You don't really talk much, do you?" She smirked. "Right, Mad?"

Across the room, there lied Mad's decapitated head with an expression of horror across his face.

Elsa brought her blood stained finger up. "You know… I can't wait to meet my sister." She licked the blood off her finger.

Mad's head started to freeze over; the ice cracking around the room.

"I'm sure she'll be happy to play with me."

Mad's head shattered into small sharp pieces of ice.

"Cause I can't wait to play with _her_."

She started humming her lullaby happily again, the stench of blood giving her a sense of delight.

* * *

**idk why i imagine the song 'Vengeance - Zack Hemsey' going on in this chapter xD**

**Okay i know its been long since i updated but its because i was having serious issues with the plot... But now its all set and i'm ready to blow things up in your faces xD**

**Till next chap!**


	54. Family

The Ice Behind Bars

Chapter LIV: Family

The three rode towards Arendelle with Anna taking Sven's reins and Kristoff sitting behind her. Catherine rode her horse and tried her best to keep Zoey as comfortable as she could.

"Anna, slow down!" Kristoff shouted.

Anna didn't answer. She pressed Sven to go faster and faster.

"Anna!" Catherine called her, agreeing with Kristoff that they should slow down. She was able to keep Zoey on her lap, but with the pace Anna was going? She won't be able to for long.

Anna suddenly pulled the reins hard, stopping Sven in his tracks.

"What!?" She yelled, her eyes burning with determination.

"What's wrong with you!?" Kristoff asked, frustrated. "You're gonna kill him!" He pointed at Sven who was panting really… really hard.

Anna's expression slowly turned into a sad yet angry appearance. She gritted her teeth and looked away from Kristoff. "He has Elsa, Kristoff… He has my mum. Rapunzel, Aiden," She whipped her head towards him, "EVERYONE!"

Kristoff was taken aback. He had never seen her so broken. So full of sorrows and regrets. "Anna…" He tried to sooth but she cut him off.

"He killed FLYNN!" She shouted in desperation then pointed at the weak Zoey who was in Catherine's lap. "He hurt Zoey! He destroyed our home! He burned my comrades! HOW CAN YOU TELL ME TO SLOW DOWN?!" She lowered her head and started sobbing.

Kristoff and Catherine stared at her in complete shock.

"How, Kristoff… How can I ever forgive him for what he's done?" Anna gritted her teeth.

Catherine looked away. _Jamie… What happened to you?! Why are you doing this?! This can't be you! There's no way it is you!_

* * *

Aphrodite, Brandon and everyone sat in their cellars in silence. Some not daring to say a word, others just not feeling like it.

Aphrodite stared at the ground with her back leaned on the cold hard wall.

"She loves you, you know."

Aphrodite turned towards the voice to see a woman with dark skin giving her a sympathetic smile. "W-… What?"

"My name's Saja. Your daughter… She's quite the strange girl, I tell you that." Saja confessed with a chuckle.

Aphrodite quickly approached the bars, wanting to hear more.

"She was a really kind and intelligent little girl." Saja continued, "She used to go on and on about how she built snowmen with her sister."

"She even used to sing us this lullaby." Oga, the old cranky woman added.

"P-Please… tell me more!" Aphrodite's tone was desperate. She just wanted to know what her daughter was like. She never had the chance to know Elsa's true personality.

Saja rested her head on the wall. "She had saved me from pain so many times." Her face broke in sadness. "She always tried to keep a smile on her face. She hid her pain and tried to cheer _us_ instead."

"Her intentions were always pure. And we've always wondered…" Razor, a man in a cellar at the far end of the hall said. "How can someone so innocent be in such a sinful place?"

Aphrodite lowered her head. "It's because she was cursed to have the worst mother on earth."

Saja smiled sympathetically at the queen then opened her mouth to speak.

However…

"Do you HEAR yourselves, people?!" One man approached the bars of his cellar.

Aphrodite recognized him as one of the fort's villagers.

"Innocent?... Kind?!... PURE INTENTIONS?!" He was clearly angry. "This… Snow _witch_ murdered _many_! Have you forgotten already?!" He looked around at the other imprisoned villagers, pointing out the total obvious that had happened back at their home. "Because of HER!... our home is destroyed! Our friends murdered! Our lives imprisoned! How can you say she is innocent!?"

Saja glared at him from behind her bars. "This is nonsense!"

"Nonsense?!" The man exclaimed in surprise. "She froze those innocent people from the inside out! She painted the WALLS with their blood!" He realized his voice was too high and quickly lowered it. For the snow queen was only a few feet away and that metal door was the only thing separating her from them. "She. Is. Evil!" He whispered then turned to stare warily at Elsa's metal door.

Saja then turned at the Queen. She was surprised that Aphrodite didn't even say a word to defend her daughter. "Is this true?" She asked her.

Aphrodite didn't reply. She hugged herself tightly then looked away sadly, no longer able to vindicate her daughter, for she had seen the blood-painted walls and the psychotic smile her daughter had.

_Kill them all!_

Aphrodite gasped as that memory flashed in front of her eyes and she quickly gripped her hair in fear, her frame starting to tremble.

Brandon rushed to her side, trying to calm her down.

Saja stared in shock at the frightened look on the queen's face. "If what you're saying is true… If… _s-she_ became evil…" She lowered her head, feeling utter despair. "Then this world is truly Hell."

"Well… That was surprising." Everyone turned at Razor.

Razor slowly stood up, wincing in pain. "Have you already lost faith in her, Saja?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

Saja looked away, feeling ashamed.

"_I_ think…" Razor pointed at the villager who had ranted about how vicious Elsa was. "_You_, my friend… are an idiot."

The man was taken aback. "_Excuse_ me?!"

"You heard me!" Razor said; his expression completely blank.

Saja gave him a confused look.

But Razor kept looking at the man. "You… are… an idiot." Razor said while putting his hands on his hips.

_What are you doing? _Saja mouthed. He was definitely taunting him.

"You shut up!" The man said, his anger rising. "How dare you say that to my face!?"

"You're an idiot!" Razor ignored him.

"Shut up!" The man was obviously angry now.

"You're an idiot!"

"Why you…!" The man grabbed the bars, ready to smash the door open.

"An idiot!"

"Shut your mouth or I'll KILL you!" The man yelled as he hit the bars with his fists.

"And there you have it." Razor finished and folded his arms.

"Eh?" Saja was completely flabbergasted.

The man blinked several times, his anger slowly dissipating.

Everyone gave Razor a confused look.

Razor sighed. "Well, my friend. That '_Snow_ _Witch'_ you were ranting about has heard much more appalling words, over and over and over for the past fifteen years! What? Did you expect her to be so diligently happy and just clean cheerful? You got angry just because I told you that you're an idiot repeatedly for like a few seconds, and even threatened to kill me!"

Everyone thought of it in silence. Some agreed. Others didn't.

The man huffed in irritation then crossed his arms. "That… T-That's not an excuse."

Razor groaned in frustration, "What is EVIL to you?!"

"It's someone who has no soul!" The man exclaimed.

Razor rolled his eyes. "No… Evil… Is **E**xposure to **V**illainy, **I**nsanity and **L**ies! Oh and guess what?! Her father happens to be the most insane son of a bitch who has been filling her head with crazy shit!"

"No." Aphrodite cut him off.

Everyone's eyes were on Aphrodite now.

"Evil is just the absence of Love." Aphrodite said. "Something that _I_ should have given her… But I didn't. I ran away." She confessed.

"Then…" The villager started. "It's all YOUR fault!" He accused. "You even hid your true identity from us! And we trusted you?!"

"Oh come on! Really!?" Brandon was now seriously irritated at this man.

Everyone started talking and shouting their opinion on each other, not realizing that Elsa actually heard everything.

"My, my, what loud neighbors I have!" Her happy voice echoed in the dungeon.

Everyone went completely silent and still. That voice only came from behind that big metal door.

Elsa leaned her back on the metal door with her hands behind her head and her right leg rested on her left knee. "You people are so concerned about me, that you forgot that your heads will be rolling down the gallows first day in the morning!" She said happily while making a rolling gesture with her hand. She wiped an invisible tear and sniffled. "I'm so moved!" Sarcasm was definite.

Realization slowly started to dawn on everyone. "No… No, I don't wanna die!" The man screamed, making everyone panic alongside him.

"Everyone! Just calm down!" Aiden and Rapunzel tried to calm the people who shared their cellar.

Elsa laughed. "I bet Arendelle will have a LOVELY Christmas tree this year!"

And that only made them panic more.

"We're going to die!"

"Mama, I'm scared!"

"He'll kill us all!"

Elsa leaned back again and started happily humming the Santa Claus, Christmas song while everyone was losing their minds.

"People, please! You have to stay calm!" Saja tried to sooth them but all in vain.

While everyone was busy imagining their bloody heads rolling down the gallows, Elsa finished her song with, "Santa claus… is coming… to town." She sang, referring to her sister. "Come on, Anna…" She smirked.

"I'm sure you'll find one _naughty_ little girl when you arrive."

* * *

The king entered his private study, holding his right hand and cursing everything and everyone around him.

He smashed the door close behind him and walked to his desk.

Sweat covered his entire face as he gritted his teeth through the agonizing pain his hand was giving him.

"God, damn you… God, damn you!" He cursed Mad and the moment he put this… curse on him.

He sat on his chair as tremors overwhelmed his marked hand. He removed the bandages around it and stared at the glowing mark.

His loud, shaky and heavy panting echoed in the large cold room.

_There's always a cost for you to obtain such power, your majesty._

He remembered Mad's words. "T-This is all your fault!"

_Use it too often… and you'll lose your hand._

A sharp pain slashed at his hand and the king lost his temper. "DAMN YOU!" He quickly unsheathed his sword and put his hand on the desk, ready to chop it off… To relieve himself of this torture. To set himself free from this torment.

_There are two others who survived the ritual._

But he hesitated.

_Your mark isn't small, but neither big. I've seen _much_ greater results._

His hand that held the sword froze above his head.

_Tell me who's the strongest. _He remembered himself saying.

"D-Do it…" He commanded himself, glaring at the glowing mark. "Do it!"

_Beware the frozen heart._

With a scream, the king brought his sword down as hard and as fast as he could but…

No pain.

He stared in shock at the sword that impaled the desk, only inches away from his hand.

_The bearer of the mark, cannot remove it himself._

Mad was right.

_No matter what he tries, he'll always fail._

The king knew it deep inside. He couldn't chop off his other hand and be scarred for life.

'The Half King' they would mock him. He most certainly didn't want to stain his name.

He grabbed the sword and pulled it out from the wood. He then threw it to the ground, cursing himself for even thinking of taking his hand off.

He put his head in his hands, sighing heavily. _At least the pain is gone._

He lifted his head off and turned to the window to see the tiny bit of light that was coming from behind the mountains.

His lips slowly drew a smirk. "Dawn… Finally. It's time."

He stood up, walked towards his sword and picked it up, sheathing it.

He walked straight towards the door and grabbed the handle.

"I will get rid of you, Monster… Once and for all."

* * *

"No way…" Catherine stared at the frozen kingdom she used to call home.

Everything in front of her was dead. Plants. Animals. Trees. Even people. She couldn't believe the amount of tombstones that lied in the graveyard. The stones even varied in sizes. Deceased children no doubt. Frozen to death in their own homes.

Was this the peaceful, warm and sunny kingdom she used to live in?

They walked in the empty streets.

Was this the lively streets she enjoyed to discover?

Dead bodies.

Were those Arendelle's happy and smiling citizens?!

"This can't be…" Catherine said, tears forming at the corner of her eyes.

Anna nodded. "And that's only the obvious. The kingdom has a much darker side." She sighed. "My father."

"Let's try and save the others before we go sightseeing around the kingdom, alright?!" Kristoff reminded.

"But… Where is everyone?!" Anna asked just before she noticed a pair of guard walking towards them.

"Hoods." Kristoff instructed.

The three of them quickly fixed their hoods on their head, making sure their faces were covered.

"You, there!" The guard called.

"Crap…" Anna cursed under her breath.

"State your business here, strangers." The guard angrily demanded.

Anna exchanged looks with Catherine then, "Strangers?! Haha— what makes you think we're strangers?! We live here!" She smiled awkwardly at the guard.

The guard obviously didn't take the bait. "I'm not that stupid, girl. The citizens of Arendelle are too limited these days that I'd recognize every one of them." He pointed the spear towards her. "Now, what are your true intentions here!?"

"Okay, okay! You got us!" Anna sighed dramatically. "My little sister… She's sick. Really sick!" She pointed at Zoey who rested in Catherine's lap, trying to pretend she was crying. "We… W-We came here looking for a doctor! But… There's no one around!"

"You won't find any doctor here." The second guard started. "Everyone's gone to the castle's courtyard. They went to watch The Snow Queen's execution."

"THE WHAT!?" Anna screamed obviously no longer 'crying' but Kristoff quickly held her and closed her mouth with his hand.

The guards eyed them suspiciously as Anna struggled to yell angry curses from behind Kristoff's hand. Luckily all of them were muffled.

"Uhhh... Excuse my friend's… R-Reaction! She just never even knew that… A S-Snow Queen even existed." He laughed awkwardly. "We'll just go on our own way! A-And… let you… and your snow queen be! Bye-bye!" Kristoff quickly stirred Sven around and trotted away, beckoning Catherine to follow.

Catherine hesitated for a moment, clenching her fist tightly. She looked over at the castle one last time before she turned her horse and followed Kristoff.

Kristoff removed his hand off of Anna's mouth and knew what's coming.

He quickly dodged as Anna turned to punch him. Luckily she missed.

"Why did you do that?! We have to go save, Elsa!" She yelled at him.

"Anna we can't just burst into a castle full of guards!" He explained.

"We can't waist any minute, Kristoff! They wanna kill, Elsa!"

"Anna, can you just… calm down for a moment and _think_?"

Anna stared at him in anger for moment before she looked down at the blue rose in her hands. Her angry expression changed and tears threatened to fall.

An image of a smiling innocent Elsa flashed in her mind and she gritted her teeth trying not to cry. "I-I just… I just want my sister back… I wanna see her smile after I give her her rose back!" Tears came down her cheeks. "I wanna make her laugh. I wanna build a snowman with her! Have a pillow fight! All the things that normal sisters do! Why were WE deprived of that, huh?!"

Kristoff watched her sadly.

"Why was Elsa supposed to be locked away?! Why was I supposed to lose my memory?! If I hadn't asked her to come play with me in the ballroom, NONE of those nightmares would have happened in the first place!"

"You think I'm happy everyone is locked in?" Kristoff started. "You think I'm not scared shitless for Elsa's life?! You think I'm just happy that you're going in there and risk your life?!"

Anna stared at him in complete shock. "Kristoff…"

He grabbed her from her shoulders. "You guys are the only family I've ever had! Don't you get that?!"

Anna didn't know that Kristoff kept all that in. She felt ashamed that she's been ignoring HIS feelings towards all this chaos.

"Kristoff… I'm so sorry." She whispered.

"I'm HERE, Anna! Catherine, too! You don't have to do this all alone!" He let go of her shoulders and gently wiped away her tears. "We'll do this together." His tone was so gentle now that Anna couldn't help but smile.

She nodded and wiped away all her tears with her sleeve. "Yes, we will." She looked down at the blue rose. "We will save, Elsa."

"But we have to find a way into the castle." Catherine said.

Kristoff and Anna turned at her. "Can't you just tell the guards to back off? You ARE the princess!" Anna asked.

"I doubt they'll recognize me. Besides… You think the _guards_ are the problem?" Catherine coldly asked.

Anna and Kristoff were taken aback. Catherine definitely wasn't happy right now. But could they blame her? She was witnessing all the horrors that her brother… her 'role model' had created.

Catherine sighed. "You should head into the sewers like you did last time when you got your sister out." She suggested.

"That's probably our only way into the castle." Kristoff agreed.

"I agree. Now, come on!" Anna stirred Sven and provoked him to a gallop.

"I can't come with you."

Anna quickly stopped Sven. "What?" She said with Kristoff in unison.

Catherine had her head down. "I can't come with you. There's… someone I have to see first."

Anna and Kristoff exchanged looks.

"Here… Keep Zoey with you." She led her horse next to Sven and carefully handed Zoey to Kristoff.

"You can't just leave us, _now_!" Anna whined.

Catherine looked away sadly and stared at the castle. "Jamie might have lost his mind and is no longer making any sense in this world..." She exhaled from her nose. "But he's my brother… and I love him." She looked at Anna. "And he's your father."

Anna looked away with an angry pout. "How can you love someone like him?" She whispered.

Catherine smiled. "He's family."

Anna looked up at her aunt in shock then quickly looked away. "But… My father… He's evil." She sadly said.

"And your sister?" Catherine asked.

Anna's eyes widened. "Of course not! She's innocent!"

"How do you know?" Catherine asked then turned her horse towards the castle. "You've only just met her a few weeks ago."

Anna got taken aback. Maybe her aunt _was _right. Did she _really_ know Elsa on the inside?

"But… what if he hurt you?!" Anna asked, concerned.

Catherine smiled sadly. "Can you watch someone you love make mistakes without trying to stop them? Even if it means giving up your own life?"

Anna didn't know what to say.

"Don't give up on the people you love, Anna. Your love for them may be exactly what they need to make a complete turnaround." Catherine looked from behind her shoulder and smiled gently at her niece.

"I'm sure you'll understand that one day."

Catherine then prompted her horse into a gallop, leaving a bewildered Anna behind.

_I'm coming, Jamie… Maybe you don't wanna reason with anyone, but you might listen to me._

* * *

**Hey guys! Sorry for all the delay but i've been VERY busy with university. And now i'm on finals for the first semester. I couldn't write a lot cause i also got very sick and i still have a cough :P I also got busy with my birthday and everything so yeah i'm finally 21 XD **

**As for the christmas reference idk why i used that xD maybe because arendelle is wintery in summer? xD idk. but it was fun :P**

**This story will be ending soon so i guess two more chapter or probably three :P but it's most likely two. SO stay tuned! **

**Next chap will be : The Frozen Battle (which is the lonnnnnnnnnnng waited confrontation between Elsa and Anna annnnnnnnnnd Anna and her Papa :)**

**So tell me what you guys think will happen between the two sisters and how things will turn out ;)**

**Oh and please review it REALLY encourages me when someone reviews :)**

**LANY HERE!**

**Peace out!**


	55. Evil Angel

The Ice Behind Bars  
Chapter LV: Evil Angel

"God, dammit! I can't believe there are guards on the sewers' entrance!" Anna said frustrated as she lied prone at the top of the hill with Kristoff right next to her.

"What did you expect? We used that entrance once and got Elsa out. It's not like your father's gonna put a Welcome sign for you." Kristoff argued.

He scratched his head while staring at the two bulky guards who stood in front of the sewers' entrance, underneath the bridge that led to the castle.

Anna was busy shuffling stuff from her satchel.

"Any ideas?" Kristoff asked before he noticed Anna smirking and holding a vial with purple liquid in it.

He looked at the vial in her hands then at her. Then at the vial… then at her again.

"Oh, hell no. I'm not drinking this!" He rejected.

Anna giggled and slapped his shoulder. "It's not for you silly." She then brought out two tiny darts from her satchel and dipped their pin in the vial. "Watch… and learn."

She put the first dart in what seemed like a blower. She then put her lips on the other end and aimed.

_Three… two… _

And she blew, sending the dart right towards the first guard.

The first guard yelped and quickly put a hand on his neck. "What the—?"

"Bullseye!" Anna whispered and clenched her fist in victory.

The guard felt something on his neck and removed it, only to stare at it in confusion before he felt dizzy and fell.

The other guard quickly rushed to him. "Hey! You okay!?"

But Anna already readied the other dart and blew.

"What's wrong with you?! Get up—" The second guard slapped his neck as if a mosquito just bit him and felt the dart before he collapsed on the floor.

Kristoff raised an eyebrow at her. "Sleeping potion?"

Anna gave him a thumb up. "We should thank mum, later."

Kristoff chuckled.

"Alright! Onwards!" Anna said while pointing at their next destination.

They both quickly got up with Anna making sure the blue rose's fine. They went down the hill, carefully underneath the bridge so that no one would notice then stood right in front of the entrance.

Kristoff bowed and smiled. "Ladies first."

* * *

The door flied open as the guard rushed in. "Your Majesty! Your majesty!"

The king looked up from his desk completely irritated. "What is it!?" He yelled.

The guards didn't know what to say. "Y-Your majesty… I-It's…It's…"

Jamie's eyes slowly widened in shock as Catherine stepped in. "Ca—… Catherine?" His voice barely heard.

"Jamie!" She said happily, unable to hold back her joy of being reunited with her big brother.

"Catherine!" He smiled widely and rushed to hug her.

The two hugged each other tightly.

Excited and surprised, Jamie quickly broke the hug to stare at his little sister. "It's you!... I-It's really you! You're alive!" He joyfully said. "But… But you were—"

"Dead?" Catherine cut him off. She looked away sadly. "Jamie… I have to tell you something…"

He looked worriedly at her. "What is it?"

"I…" she sighed. "I was never murdered, Jamie… I was about to! B-But I ran away."

His eyes slowly widened. "Why didn't you come home?"

Catherine looked at his eyes. "I… I don't know." She never confessed to herself that she always felt uneasy, coming back home. Even now, she knew there was something wrong. For the look in Jamie's eyes had changed.

Jamie was silent for a moment before he smiled at her and hugged her again. "Ooooh, Catherine…" he calmly started. "How I've missed you so..."

All of a sudden Catherine felt his fist smashing with her stomach, striking her vital point. Her eyes were incredibly wide as she fell on her knees, holding her stomach in agony.

"But it seems everyone is becoming a traitor these days." He stood above her, staring coldly at her. "You betrayed your own kingdom just like Aphrodite did… and ran away. And you left _me_ to suffer with grief."

"J-Jamie… what?" She tried to say, grimacing in pain.

Jamie shook his head and sighed. "Cowards… all of you are cowards." He looked at her in disgust. "I. Hate. Cowards."

Catherine looked up in utter disbelief. "So it's… t-true… You… murdered… all these people!" She remembered the corpses she saw back at the ruined fort.

"Sometimes you have to do what's best for the kingdom." He said.

"By murder?!" She snarled at him.

He shrugged. "They were just _thieves_."

"And your daughter… that you've tortured! Was she… a thief too?!" She glared at him but started feeling dizzy as her vision blurred.

Jamie sighed and kneeled to her eye level. "I know you can't understand what I'm doing… you're just too naïve, my dear Catherine… you've always been." He taunted and chuckled. "Mother and Father were right. You _are_ too stupid to be a ruler."

"So it's true… You're EVIL!" She said angrily. _You've always been!_ She thought. "I know you are… I always… felt it. You've never… loved me. I always… lied to myself!"

Jamie looked at her gloved hand. "Does it still hurt?" He smirked.

Catherine sneered at him. "It was all… your fault to begin with!" She referred to her burnt hand. "If you hadn't told mother that I stole… from the kitchen, I wouldn't be having this in the first place!" Catherine felt the darkness taking over. "but you've… enjoyed it!"

Jamie chuckled. "I don't have time to dwell about the past, my dear." He put a finger underneath her chin and lifted her head. "I have a daughter to end." He smirked before he let her go, making her fall to the ground.

Catherine's world then suddenly turned black, his last words ringing in her ear.

* * *

The dungeons' door opened and Jamie stepped in.

Two guards followed him, dragging the barely conscious Catherine from her arms.

"Just put her there." Jamie ordered, pointing at Aphrodite and Brandon's cellar.

"Catherine?!" Aphrodite recognized, her eyes wide in surprise.

When the guards laid the princess inside the cellar, Aphrodite quickly rushed to her, resting the woman's redhead on her lap. "You just can't help it, huh?!" She snarled angrily at her husband. "You just have to make everyone who once loved you suffer!"

The guards closed the cellar again.

Jamie did not even answer he just turned and walked straight towards Elsa's door.

* * *

_Who am I?_

She stared coldly at her hands as she sat in the middle of her cellar.

_What am I?_

_Her emotionless eyes moved to the frost on the wall._

_Why?_

_She stared at the broken shackles around her wrists._

_Who… am I?_

The door of her cellar opened behind her.

"Monster." The king called. "It's time." He smirked widely.

Elsa slowly turned her head at him; her face showing no sign of emotion.

_Monster._ She thought.

"Remove those shackles and chain her hands behind her back." The king ordered the guards.

The two guards nodded and turned to Elsa.

They gulped, exchanged looks and carefully approached her.

Elsa turned her head away and stared at the ground, not moving an inch.

The guards were definitely uneasy as they removed the broken shackles. When they touched her wrists, they felt the extreme coldness of her pale skin.

Which didn't make them feel any better.

After removing them, they noticed the old scars around her wrists. Cuffs and chains no doubt. They then locked her wrists in two hard metal cuffs.

"Move it." One of the guards ordered.

Elsa looked at him with those hopeless, empty eyes, making him flinch away.

"I said, move!" He ordered again, trying to hide his fear.

Elsa then slowly got up and turned towards the door.

The two guards quickly pointed their spear at her. "Don't try anything funny." He warned.

The king chuckled. "You don't have to worry about that." He smirked and looked at his bandaged palm. "I have her under control."

* * *

_Catherine… Catherine!_

Catherine slowly opened her eyes to see a familiar woman's face.

"Oh, thank god. You're awake." Aphrodite said in relief.

"Aph—… Aphrodite?" Catherine tiredly asked, still feeling confused.

"What happened?" The queen asked.

Catherine slowly sat up. She put a hand on her forehead and looked around realizing she's in the dungeons. She sighed. "Nothing surprising…"

Aphrodite watched her sympathetically. "How did you get here? I thought you were—"

"Long story." Catherine cut her off.

They all turned to look at the king as he stepped out from Elsa's cellar.

The king started walking in the middle of the hallway.

Elsa calmly followed.

The moment Aphrodite saw Elsa come out, she quickly rushed to the bars. "Elsa!" She called worriedly.

Elsa completely ignored her and kept her head down.

The moment Catherine laid eye on her niece for the first time, she felt her heart skip a beat. Elsa's strange appearance didn't make her flinch for a second. What really did was how many scars this young woman had. She shook her head in disbelief, "Jamie! Stop all this nonsense! Wake UP!" She pleaded.

"I won't let you take her away from me again!" Aphrodite yelled.

Jamie stopped right in front of Aphrodite. "Oh, don't worry… You're coming with us." He motioned to the guards to open the cellar.

"What?" Aphrodite was surprised.

The guards opened the door.

Brandon quickly moved to stand in between and shield her but the guard quickly pointed his spear to his throat.

The other guard quickly grabbed Aphrodite from her arm and pulled her out of the cellar as she struggled greatly.

"Let me go!" She yelled.

"Let her go!" Brandon furiously screamed and before he could lunge at the guard, the door of the cellar closed, making his body come in contact violently with the rough metal.

Aphrodite struggled hard until she was finally free. She quickly ran to Elsa and the guard tried to catch her again, but he was taken aback when the king raised his hand confidently and told him not to.

"Elsa!" She approached her daughter.

Elsa didn't respond.

Aphrodite slowly brought her hands to her daughter's cheeks. "Elsa?" She lifted her head to stare into her eyes.

Aphrodite's eyes widened in shock.

Her daughter's eyes stared right at hers. No… It was almost as if she was staring right _through_ her. Elsa's eyes were dull and dead. Lifeless. Hopeless.

Hollow.

"Please…" Aphrodite's voice cracked as she begged her daughter to say something… Anything.

But Elsa didn't say a word.

"You see, my love?" Jamie teasingly said and approached his spouse. He leaned to her ear and patted her shoulder. "I told you she's no longer yours."

Aphrodite was completely speechless. She found herself unable to breathe or even move.

Jamie turned and started walking again.

The guard grabbed Aphrodite's hands and cuffed them behind her back. It wasn't even much of a hard thing to do since she was too shocked to comprehend that she was being restrained.

Elsa lowered her head again and followed her father.

"Move it." The guard ordered Aphrodite.

"Don't you worry, dear Aphrodite." Jamie started as he went out of the dungeons. "I'll make sure to make you watch."

* * *

Elsa stared at the huge castle door that led outside to the courtyard. How many years had it been since she saw that door? She could already hear the angry citizens outside, raging.

The guards opened the door, revealing the huge courtyard and every citizen of Arendelle— or what's left of them.

The citizen's voice raged louder as Elsa— the murderer— appeared in front of them.

"It's HER!"

"It's the snow queen!"

"Kill her!"

The guards tried to hold them back as the king led his daughter to the gallows.

Aphrodite stared in shock at all the angry and disgusted faces everyone was giving her daughter.

"Burn her alive!"

People started throwing rocks at Elsa as hard as they could.

One hit her on the head and made her stumble and fall on the iced ground with a grunt.

"Elsa!" Aphrodite called in worry.

"She deserves to be punished!"

Aphrodite looked at Elsa who struggled a bit before she simply got back up and continued walking as if nothing just happened, despite the blood leaking from her forehead.

"Burn her on the stakes!"

"Witch!"

Aphrodite's heart was being ripped apart. Angry tears formed at the corner of her eyes as she glared at the citizens for harming her daughter.

Jamie stared proudly at the two poles that stood tall on the gallows. He imagined Elsa chained between those two poles and he couldn't help but feel pleased. In a few moments, he would be the mighty king who saved his kingdom from the wicked monster.

When they finally arrived, the guards brought Elsa up the stairs and chained her between the two tall wooden pillars, each hand chained above her on each pole, making her stand on the tip of her toes.

_Who am I?_ The question kept repeating inside Elsa's head.

One guard forced Aphrodite to kneel in front of the gallows, as the king ordered, so she could 'enjoy the show'.

The king raised his hand and everyone went silent in an unbelievable way.

Jamie inhaled deeply and… "Behold!... The Snow Queeeeenn!"

The citizens and the guards all cheered for their king and praised for the end of the snow queen.

_Who am I?_

Jamie coughed then spoke loudly. "Today we shall get rid of this, Monster! For SHE not only ruined our beautiful kingdom! But killed your beloved children, wives and husbands! Today _I_... Your KING! Shall bring _you_ JUSTICE!"

The crowd cheered even louder for their faithful ruler.

Aphrodite glared at her husband but knew that she couldn't do anything. _Anna… Where are you? Please save her… Save your sister!_

"This woman has been hiding away like a coward while we all suffered!" The king continued. "She mercilessly froze our crops, killed our cattle and starved our friends and families to death!"

"That's not true!" Aphrodite yelled. "It's all your fault! YOU hid her in the castle! People! Look at her scars! HE tortured _her_!" She tried to clarify.

The citizens did notice all the scars on her and honestly were not one bit moved.

The king smirked at Aphrodite one time then turned to the citizens. "Her scars show how many people have tried to kill her! How many people she's been harming!"

_Who am I?_

"She's a wicked witch!" One man screamed and others shouted in agreement.

Aphrodite was desperate. "Everyone please! I am your queen! Why would I have run away if there was no terrible reason!? HE was the cruelest man I've ever seen! He never was a good king!"

Jamie glared at her and gritted his teeth.

"This poor woman whom you're all judging is his own daughter! Please, believe me! " Aphrodite begged. "Who do you think all those screams belonged too?! All those years!?"

Jamie's fists were clenched hard. "Shut her up!" He ordered the guard behind her.

The guard quickly gagged her with a cloth, not allowing her to say another word.

The citizens were surprised and now confused, but the stubbornness and hate they carried were too great.

"Do you people honestly _believe_ her?!" Jamie put a hand on his chest dramatically. "She betrayed us all and ran away, abandoning her own daughter! She did not even once appreciate the love I was giving her! As for my beautiful daughter… She died because of the illness that took over her fragile little body." He faked his sadness.

_Who… am I? _The chains started to shake, as if she was… pulling?

"And I shall NOT allow you to mortify my daughter's name with THIS monster!" He pointed at Elsa and smirked at Aphrodite when she was struggling and screaming in rage behind her gag.

The citizens agreed and started cheering for him again.

"But the past is beyond us! It's time to start anew, put an end to our misery and kill that MONSTER!"

Aphrodite wasn't going to give up just yet. She tried her best to shake her gag off her mouth.

The guards next to Elsa noticed the chains starting to freeze. "Uhhh… Jacob?" The guard elbowed his comrade and they started backing away.

_Who… am… I?_

"WHO IS SHE!?" The king shouted, his lips trembling with excitement.

The crowd shouted back. "Monster! Monster! MONSTEEEEEEER!"

"ENOUGHHHHH!" Aphrodite screamed.

The freezing stopped.

Everyone turned at her.

The king was extremely furious now.

She panted as she tried to form words. "People… what's wrong with you?! How can you be so CRUEL!" She shouted at them. "Show mercy! She is innocent, innocent, INNOCENT!"

The king shakily inhaled as he tried to suppress his fury. "How… many times…" He went down the gallows and approached Aphrodite. "Should I tell you to…"

Before anyone could comprehend what was happening, his fist came smashing with her cheek. "Shut uuuuup!"

Aphrodite fell to the ground with a thud.

The king's anger was too great for him to notice that everyone was completely shocked at his reaction.

He blinked then looked around nervously. He then coughed and fixed his hair, returning to his gallant posture.

He then looked at around him and saw the confused and now doubtful looks some of the citizens were giving him.

He sighed. "Fine… Let's all be the judge of that." He pointed at Aphrodite. "Release her."

Aphrodite's eyes widened.

The guards exchanged confused looks before one of them removed the cuffs on her hands.

Aphrodite knew better. This wicked look in his eyes… it didn't mean any good.

He turned at Elsa and smirked. He calmly walked right up next to her and gave Aphrodite one last look.

_What are you up to?_ Aphrodite glared at him.

The king turned away and stared at the frozen chains. "Hmph. Innocent, you say?" Suddenly he unsheathed his sword and slashed at the chains, setting Elsa free.

Everyone was completely flabbergasted at what he just did.

"She's…" One of the citizen started as his voice trembled. His face turned pale. "She's free! The snow queen's freeee!" He screamed in fear.

Everyone started backing away and screaming in fear, not wanting to be involved. What the hell was their king thinking?!

The king ignored everyone and calmly moved away, pointing with his palm at Elsa as if beckoning Aphrodite to approach.

When the chains broke Elsa fell on her knees and hands. Her hair covered her face so Aphrodite wasn't able to see her expression.

Aphrodite quickly got up on her feet, ran up to her, and grabbed her by her shoulders. "Elsa… I'm gonna stop this. I'll get you out of here! I won't ever give up on you, again. You're my daughter, do you hear me?!"

Elsa didn't lift her head.

"Do you hear me?! I'm not gonna give up on you!"

All of a sudden Aphrodite started choking. Her eyes were wide as she stared in horror at Elsa's hand around her throat.

Elsa slowly lifted her head, a maniac smirk on her lips. "Too late…"

* * *

"Ugh! This place didn't get any better!" Anna complained while clothing her nose; her voice weird.

"Well, this is the only way to get inside so…" Kristoff said.

"Are you sure it's _sane_ to leave Zoey with Sven?" Anna asked, feeling anxious about that idea.

"Don't worry. Sven will definitely keep her safe. Just like he did with me since… forever."

Anna looked at the half blue, half red rose in her hand. "I hope you're happy, you." She talked to it. "You don't even have a smell, for crying out loud! So you're not of any help in here!"

"Anna. Focus. You're talking to a rose." Kristoff reminded.

"Right."

They continued a few steps before Anna noticed that the rose started glowing again and the red color spreading.

She gasped. "Kristoff!"

"Shhhhh!" He quickly turned at her. "What part of sneaking don't you understand?!" He whispered.

"Th-th-th-th-the rose! It's getting red! Sh-She said that when Red spreads, it's a bad thing!" Anna explained.

"Anna, who are you talking about?!" Kristoff was confused.

"The white lady!" Anna answered, her face becoming really worried.

"The white what?!" Kristoff was completely bewildered now as he noticed the glowing rose.

"The white lady! She said something about Elsa and that when the rose becomes red some bad abracadabra will happen!" Anna clarified.

"Huh?!"

"No time to explain! Come on!"

"Is it because there's really no time or because you really suck at explaining?!" Kristoff asked as he ran next to her.

"Both!"

The two ran through the sewers until Anna found the familiar ladder. "There!" She pointed.

They looked up and saw the light coming from the room.

"Come on!" Anna climbed first.

She reached the end and slowly lifted the doormat to make sure no guards were around. "Coast's clear." She pushed the doormat away and climbed up.

Rapunzel was the first to notice. "Anna! Kristoff!"

Everyone turned at Anna and ran to the bars.

"You're here!" Aiden said happily.

"Rapunzel, Aiden! Brandon! Oh I'm so glad you guys are okay!" Anna ran to Rapunzel and held her hands. When she noticed there was no sign of her mother and Elsa's cellar door was opened, she feared the worst. "Where's mum and Elsa!?"

"He just came in and took them both!" Rapunzel replied. "He's gonna kill Elsa, Anna! You have to hurry!"

Anna nodded and quickly started picking the locks.

"What are you doing?! You have to go help, Elsa!" Aiden said.

"I won't leave you guys here!" Anna said before the lock clicked and she opened the first cellar, letting Rapunzel, Aiden and some of the villagers, including Bulda, out.

Kristoff put Aiden's arm around his shoulder since he was limping. "You guys had a rough time, huh?" He asked.

"You have no idea." Aiden replied.

"Is that… Elsa's rose?!" Rapunzel asked while pointing at the rose in Anna's hands.

Anna nodded. "I promised myself that I would give it to her." She smiled tenderly at the flower.

Rapunzel stared at it in surprise since the rose was blue and red…and glowing! If they didn't have very little time before Elsa was killed, she would have asked Anna thousands of questions.

"Can you hold on to it?" Anna gave the rose carefully to Rapunzel before she quickly rushed to Brandon cellar.

When she noticed Catherine, her eyes widened. "Catherine?! You, too?!" She asked.

Catherine looked away and didn't answer, feeling ashamed.

"I told you he was evil." Anna said with a scowl as she worked on the lock.

Catherine sighed sadly. "I guess I've lost my brother a long time ago."

"There." Anna opened the door. "Rapunzel! Brandon! Here are some lock-picks. Help me open the other cellars."

Razor, Saja and all the other old prisoners were shocked. "Wait… You're gonna help US too?!" Razor asked in shock.

"Well, of course I am! I promised before that I would come get you out, haven't I?" Anna winked at him as she worked on his cellar's lock.

Razor remembered the first time they came and saved Elsa. He remembered Anna's promise and had always hoped that she would be true to her word. He nearly cried with joy. He was finally gonna get out of here. "Thank you…"

All the cellars were now open and everyone was free.

"You can all get out from here using the sewers so that no one can see you." Anna announced.

"What about you?!" Rapunzel asked in worry.

Anna smiled gently. "I have to save my sister."

Rapunzel's eyes widened but then she smiled back. "Go get him, girl." She shook Anna's shoulder.

"Oh, no you won't." Aiden started. "We were once a team. We did our missions together and always got each other's backs. Come on, Anna…" He winked at her. "What do you say? One last mission before we call it a day?"

Anna smiled at him. "One last mission." She nodded.

"I'm coming along too."

"Brandon?" Anna turned at him.

"He wants to be the knight who saves the princess— Queen." Rapunzel teased.

Brandon blushed but gave up on hiding it. He chuckled. "To tell you the truth, girl, I don't think I'll survive another day without her tending to my wounds after a fight, or yelling at me for being an idiot."

Anna smiled tenderly at him. She was glad her mum found a man who actually loved her and treated her kindly... Unlike her father.

"I'll go with the others and help the wounded." Catherine decided. "I've seen enough of my brother." Before anyone could reply she turned away sadly and went down the ladder.

Anna and the others pitied her. She had every right to be sad.

"Alright. Everyone's out." Tyler approached them while dusting his hands.

Rapunzel glared at him. "Aren't you going with them?"

Tyler smirked. "Sorry to disappoint you, sweety." He rubbed the back of his neck as his smirk turned into a small yet sincere smile. "But there's someone I need to apologize to." He looked at Anna. "And I want that little blondie alive so I can do that."

Anna smiled at him thankfully.

"That's the spirit!" Brandon slapped Tyler's shoulder, making him yelp in pain.

"I'm still recovering, Bran!" Tyler whined.

Brandon laughed. "Oh come on! Don't be such a puss—"

"Okay! Are you ready, thieves?!" Anna asked, all excited.

"Ready!" The thieves put their hands all together and chanted in unison.

"**We fight for the weak! We steal from the wealthy to give the needy! In people's eyes, we're thieves! But in God's, were heroes!"**

* * *

Aphrodite's battered body came crashing on the iced ground, meters away from Elsa who stood on the gallows laughing for throwing her mother as if she was a ball.

"Didn't you miss me, dear mother?!" Elsa asked while pointing at herself.

"You can kill her if you want." The king said as he stood proudly next to his… creation.

Elsa's head slowly turned at him and she gave him that crazy smile that made him gulp.

"You should thank the entire heavens that you're still alive." She looked at his hand. "That mark might be keeping you safe… But not for long." She laughed again and turned her attention back to Aphrodite who shakily stood up. "So don't worry. You're next."

The king's smirk fell.

Elsa then got down from the gallows and started approaching her mother.

The citizens started screaming in fear, seeing that the snow queen was free. They all ran, trying to get away from this monstrosity.

Elsa looked at their horrified faces and shook her head in amusement. "Oh, no you're not!" She smashed her hands on the ground and all of a sudden a huge wall of ice shut the courtyard's entrance, blocking the citizens' way.

"You're leaving the party already?!" Elsa acted surprised. She tapped her chin. "What was it that you guys were saying?...The Snow Queen's execution? Hurray, hurray?" She mocked then giggled.

The citizens trembled in fear.

But all of a sudden her expression turned grim. "No one is leaving this place alive." She promised.

The citizens backed away as hard as they could from her and some were even trying their hardest to punch and break the ice, but the wall was too thick and the ice was strong solid.

The guards rushed to protect their kingdom and its people, and surrounded Elsa with spears and swords in their hands.

"Leave her be." Jamie ordered.

The guards gave their king a shocked look. "But… your majesty!" One of the guards tried to argue.

"I am your king! I said, leave her be!"

The guards exchanged worried and nervous looks before they slowly and hesitantly lowered their weapons, and backed away.

"That's right. Good dogs!" Elsa taunted as she stood with a hand on her hips.

"Go to Hell…" One of the guards cursed her.

Elsa smirked at him. "Oh? Hell is empty, darling… cause all the demons are _here_." She pointed at herself. "Now…" She turned at her mum. "Back to you…"

"Elsa… What's wrong?!" Aphrodite's tone sounded desperate. "You were never like this!"

"What's WRONG?!" Elsa was honestly surprised. "I'll tell you what's wrong!"

An ice spike came out from the ground inches away from Aphrodite's cheek.

Aphrodite yelped and started backed away.

Elsa started walking slowly towards her. "What's WRONG!... is that I have a COWARD of a mother who used me to create a snowstorm for her so she could run away!" She lifted one finger as if counting.

Another ice spike came out of the ground and Aphrodite dodged it again but this one gave her a cut on her arm.

"What's WRONG! Is that you LEFT me there in the forest because I would have been a great burden for you!" Elsa's mocking tone was slowly turning into rage.

"That's not true!" Aphrodite sobbed.

Another ice spike came out and this one was big and sharper than the others.

"What's WRONG! Is that you didn't even _think_ of looking back and never tried to SAVE ME!" Elsa screamed in rage.

"I'm sorry!" Aphrodite was crying really hard now and she found herself unable to move. She hugged herself and waited for her demise. She deserved it. She was a horrible mother. Elsa deserved to beat her and kill her.

Elsa then stood in front of her mother's shaking frame and smirked manically at her. "Sorry?... Sorry won't stop me from killing you, dear mother." Elsa's hand started glowing with power as she formed the ice.

Aphrodite closed her eyes, ready to take it.

Elsa lifted her hand, ready to strike. "Goodbye, dear mother… May we meet in Hell." Elsa shot the ice from her hands that went straight towards her mother.

"NOOO!"

Elsa's eyes widened in shock when the ice that she shot, didn't hit the target she wanted. Instead… it hit Anna…

Anna's heart.

Anna had shielded her mother from death by throwing herself in front of her.

"Anna!" Aphrodite screamed.

Anna fell on her knees, breathing heavily.

"Are you okay?!" Brandon and the others rushed to her side.

"I-I'm fine… I'm fine." Anna looked up and stared in horror at her sister. _How could you?! _She thought. How could Elsa try to kill their mother?!

"It's YOU!" Jamie shouted in astonishment. He finally saw his long lost daughter.

Elsa was staring with wide, amazed and excited eyes. "Finally!... If it isn't my _sweet_ dear, dear, little sister!" She laughed hysterically and opened her arms wide. "Oh, why don't you come here, baby sister! Don't you wanna hug me?! Or…" She waved her hands and snow started forming a structure. "Build a snow maaaan?!" She sang and the ice only created a deformed snowman. "Hmmm…" Elsa scratched her head. "Olaf used to come out better." She shrugged. "But oh well… I like him better this way." She smirked.

Anna slowly stood and stared in disbelief at her sister. "This… This isn't you… This isn't YOU!"

"OHHH, but it is!" Elsa twirled around and cupped her hands. "Oh, how I've lounged for this moment ever since we got separated when we were little!" She giggled. "But…" She put a finger on her cheek. "A few desires have changed, I can tell you that."

One of the guards couldn't handle it anymore. "You… You evil witch!" He grabbed his spear and ran at her.

"No!" The other guards shouted for him but he didn't listen and he was too overwhelmed by stress.

The rose in Rapunzel's hands was glowing brighter than ever as more red started overwhelming it.

Elsa turned at him with that wide smirk, dodging the spear and shoving her hand right through his chest.

Rapunzel turned away, nearly vomiting.

Everyone was completely horrified.

Elsa stared right into the poor young guard's eyes. She brought her other hand and shook her finger slowly in front of him. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk… That's not a good way to treat a lady, now is it?" She said and pulled her hand out of his chest, holding his beating heart in her blood covered hand.

The young guard swayed back and fell violently to the ground, forming a huge puddle of blood underneath him.

Elsa threw the heart up and down in her hand before she threw it towards Anna and the others. "Dinner's ready!" She happily announced.

"Anna…" Aphrodite called tiredly.

Anna turned at her, the shocked expression still on her face.

"You have to run away from here. There's no hope for her anymore." Aphrodite sadly said. "I will keep her busy until you take everyone and go."

"Aphrodite, no!" Brandon kneeled next to her battered frame.

"Yes, Brandon." Aphrodite stopped him. "I have to. She's my daughter."

"No."

The others turned and looked at Anna.

Anna unsheathed her daggers. "I want to be the one to end her misery."

"Anna, you can't!" Aphrodite disagreed.

"I have to." Anna cut her off. She then looked at her mum from behind her shoulder and smiled. "She's my sister."

Before Aphrodite or anyone could object, Anna's expression turned cold and serious. She looked at Elsa and readied herself, holding the daggers tightly in her hands.

Elsa got excited. "You're gonna play with me!? Oh, I can't wait to see how YOUR heart beats!" She said joyfully.

Anna was glaring at her as she ranted psychotically. She stood in her fighting stance and forced herself to gulp down all her tears.

For she was about to kill her sister.

* * *

**Holy poop on a stick. Okay i know i promised you guys that this chapter would be about Anna vs Elsa thingy but because the chapter turned out to be HUGGGGE i had to put it in two parts.**

**Anyway the next chap will be up either on sunday or monday. I promise.**

**If anyone have time for this i recommend you hear : _What Have You Done - Within Temptation_ (since it's what Anna is thinking right now after what she saw in Elsa.) and as for Elsa... i recommend the song _Had Enough - Breaking Benjamin _so you can get a picture of what's happening in Elsa's mind ;)**

**Lany out! **

**Peace!**


	56. Decision

The Ice Behind Bars  
Chapter LVI: Decision

Elsa threw her hands up, summoning ice spikes and not giving Anna any chance to breathe. Anna jumped left and right, dodging all the spikes.

Finally, Elsa stopped for a moment, giving Anna a chance to breathe.

Anna panted hard as she glared at her sister.

"Oh, what's wrong, baby sister?! Are you already tired from playing with me?!" Elsa teased.

Anna felt dizzier. She was cold… really cold. _What's… happening to me?_

She shook the dizziness away and lunged at Elsa, swinging her dagger.

Elsa blocked it with her own arm that she just froze solid. "Too slow!" She said before she kicked Anna hard, sending her flying.

Anna's body came smashing to the ground.

"My, my, Anna, are you already getting old or is it just your hair?!" Elsa mocked.

_What…? _Anna thought before she grabbed a few strands of her hair only to notice that they were turning white.

"What's happening to her?!" Aiden asked.

"I don't know." Brandon answered.

Anna yelped as she was kicked again. "You think THAT hurt, dear sister?!" Elsa asked as she smirked at the painful expression Anna had. "What about this!?"

Anna quickly got up but before she could blink, Elsa suddenly appeared next to her with that psychotic smirk and slashed at her with her frozen sword.

Anna barely dodged it and it cut her cheek. She ignored the pain and swung her dagger.

Elsa easily dodged then punched Anna in the stomach. "Why are you holding back, sweet baby sister?! Come on! I wanna see your true power!"

Anna winced as she slowly backed away, holding her stomach in pain. She slowly opened her eyes and stared at her shaking hands. _How can I? Just how can I kill my own sister!? _The memory of how Elsa mercilessly killed that guard flashed in her mind.

_No. _She decided and gripped her dagger hard, her hands no longer shaking. _I can't let her kill anyone._ Her face turned serious again and she lifted her head to glare at Elsa. She didn't care less about her hair or what's actually happening to her. All she cared about was to put an end to this nightmare. "I won't let you harm anyone else!"

"Let's see you try!" Elsa laughed.

With a scream Anna lunged at her.

However, Elsa still dodged all her attacks.

Jamie watched in excitement. _Well… Let's make things a little more interesting shall we? _He removed the bandage on his palm.

"You look pale, sweetheart! Almost as if you're freezing!" Elsa laughed, dodged then kicked Anna again.

Anna staggered back.

Elsa put her hands on her hips. She sighed. "I'm beginning to get bored of you, Anna. Let's try a new level, shall we?" She started forming ice around her hands. "Just one shot to your head and you'll. Be. Dea—" All of a sudden Elsa found herself unable to move or even speak. Her eyes went wide in surprise as she tried to comprehend what's happening.

Everyone stared at her in confusion.

_What's… happening…_ Elsa thought. Her expression turned into a glare when she realized that it was none other than…

_YOU!_ She tried her best to struggle against this strange power and turned to glare in rage at her father.

Jamie gave her a smirk and suddenly Elsa fell on her knees with a yelp. _I can't… Move!_

Anna's eyes widened. _That's my chance!_ She thought before she lunged at Elsa with her dagger.

The king quickly closed his palm, letting Elsa free.

Elsa quickly jumped away and dodged Anna's attack. She lifted her hands to impale her with ice but found herself unable to summon any power. _What?! _She stared at her hands in shock, not noticing that Anna was running towards her.

Anna started attacking Elsa with all her might, to her shock, Elsa was barely able to dodge her attacks. Almost as if her power and strength were suppressed?

Suddenly an image of an innocent smiling Elsa flashed in her mind.

Anna gritted her teeth, trying to ignore it.

She attacked.

Another image of Elsa laughing.

She kicked.

_Jamie might have lost his mind and is no longer making any sense in this world... But he's my brother… and I love him. _She remembered Catherine's words.

But she punched.

Blood was all over Elsa's body as Anna slashed, punched, kicked and cut her.

_Can you watch someone you love make mistakes without trying to stop them?_

Anna screamed one last time before she kicked Elsa in the stomach, sending her flying to the ground.

Elsa tried to get up but couldn't.

Anna approached her, kneeled above her and held the dagger up with Elsa's throat right beneath it.

"C-Come on… aren't you gonna kill me?!" Elsa said angirly.

Anna stared at her sister the dagger not shaking at all in her hands. The grip was firm and determinant.

_Don't cry, Anna. I'm here. _She remembered their short childhood together. Elsa always used to comfort her. Elsa always used to make her smile. Elsa always kept her safe. Elsa always made her happy.

But Elsa always suffered.

"Come on, Anna! Don't you wanna kill the monster and be done with it?!" Elsa yelled.

Anna's lip trembled. "I… I-I…"

Everyone waited for her decision. Aphrodite closed her eyes, not being able to watch one of her daughters kill the other.

"I promise you, Anna! I'll kill everyone you love right in front of your eyes!" Elsa promised while smirking manically.

_Don't give up on the people you love, Anna. Your love for them may be exactly what they need to make a complete turnaround._

"I can't…" Anna whispered.

Elsa stared at her in shock.

Anna lowered the dagger and threw it away. "I can't… I can't…" She shook her head, tears going down her cheeks.

Everyone stared at the two sisters in shock. The citizens. The friends. The guards. The parents. All stared at them, waiting to know what would happen.

Anna's tears fell on Elsa's cheek.

"I can't kill you, Elsa… How could I?! You're my sister!" Anna said, staring at Elsa's shocked expression.

But to her surprise…

Elsa suddenly smirked. "I don't care." She pushed Anna off of her and got up, dusting herself. "Oh, baby sister, you've always been the one to love drama."

Anna had enough. She wasn't going to fight anymore. She stood and looked at the smirking Elsa. "I'm not gonna fight you… do whatever you want."

Elsa smirked excitedly when she found herself able to use her ice powers again. "Fine then…"

She formed an ice dagger resembling Anna's perfectly, and in all small details. She ran at her and swayed, her dagger cutting Anna's shoulder. She then grabbed her by her throat and started punching her, watching her sister's painful expression hungrily. "Does it hurt?!"

Anna yelped.

"Don't scream!" Elsa yelled. She pushed Anna to the ground and put her hand on the ground. All of a sudden a spike came out from the ground impaling Anna's leg.

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhh!" Anna shrieked loudly in agony.

"Anna!" Kristoff screamed and rushed to help her but he was held back by Brandon. "Kristoff you can't go there! She'll kill you too!"

"What are you saying Anna's in trouble!?"

"Do you know what happens to THIEVES, ANNA?!" Elsa repeated her father's words. She stepped on Anna's arm, trying to break it.

Anna screamed in pain again.

"You think THAT'S painful!?" Elsa asked. She then broke the spike impaling Anna's leg and pulled Anna up from her collar. "I've waited YEARS for you and mother to come!" Elsa raged and punched Anna again.

"I've hoped!... I've WISHED!... I've prayed!... But nothing ever changed!" Elsa slashed and slashed at Anna in rage with the ice dagger. "I was whipped!" She punched. "I was flogged!" She kicked. "Not once have I lost hope!"

The citizens couldn't believe what they were hearing.

Anna didn't fight back and simply watched her sister sadly as she allowed her to beat her and let all that hate out, not noticing that her hair was almost all white.

"I waited... And waited! And WAITED! For FIFTEEN YEARS!" Elsa kept kicking and punching Anna here and there, not giving her any chance to speak. "And in the end you came back just to steal from the castle and NOT FOR ME! You ALL left me! You ALL feared me!" She grabbed Anna by her throat, trying to choke her; her rage turning into anguish. "Was any of you there when I cried?! Was any of you there when I was in pain?! Was any of you thinking of me when _I_ did of YOU?!" She threw Anna to the ground.

**I recommend you hear "Man of The world – naruto shipudden" while reading the upcoming part.**

"Did you ever stopped him from beating me?! Did you ever stopped him from hurting me?!" Elsa then kneeled on top of Anna and held the dagger above her sister's head. "Tell me!" She punched her. "TELL ME!"

Anna coughed blood, bruises all over her body. She stared up at her sister who was breathing heavily. All of a sudden tears fell down Anna's cheek, taking Elsa off guard.

Elsa glared hard at her. "W-Why are you crying!?"

Anna stayed silent for a moment, trying to hold back a sob. "Because you're in so much pain…" She admitted. "I know that… you're not… the evil one here, Elsa." Anna coughed again. "You just… want… someone to love you."

Elsa groaned in irritation. "I don't need anything that doesn't exist! And I am _not_ in pain!"

"Then why are _you_ crying?"

Elsa's eyes widened and her hand froze. It was only then that she noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks.

Anna smiled at her.

Elsa's lip trembled. "W-Wh… What?" The dagger started shaking in her hand. _Why is she smiling!?_

"Don't you understand, Elsa?... I've finally… found you… My big sister… How can't I… be happy?" Anna clarified.

Elsa was definitely failing to hold back her tears. Her breathing quickened and she shook her head violently in denial. "NO! I'm a monster! I'm hated! I-I'm feared! An abomination! A freak! A demon! I don't have a family! I-I don't have friends! Monsters are hated! HATED!" Her entire frame was shaking as she started sobbing. "Monsters should be punished! Monsters are cold and evil! I killed! I harmed! I'm a monster!" She was shaking uncontrollably now as she stared sorrowfully into Anna's eyes, waiting for an answer.

Anna watched her sadly and then spoke. "To be honest… You're the only innocent one among us."

Elsa's eyes widened in disbelief.

Rapunzel noticed the red on the rose dissipating.

Elsa gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut. "Just… W-Why?..." She asked. "Why!?... W-Why didn't you kill me?" She asked. "Please… Kill me…" She pleaded. "Kill me!" She begged. "I've done so many mistakes… I-I do not… deserve to live!" Her tears went down like waterfalls.

Elsa's hand slowly came down and she let go of the dagger. "Please, kill me! Everyone will be safe then!"

Anna shakily lifted her hand and wiped away Elsa's tears. "I-I already told you… I can't."

"W-Why…?!" Elsa whispered.

Anna slowly sat up, wincing as she did and ignoring the pain her bleeding leg was giving her. She grabbed Elsa by the shoulders. "I've lost you once… I don't wanna lose you again." She put her forehead on Elsa's and smiled. "And no matter what you do or what you choose, you'll always be my big sister. And I will love you until the day I die."

Elsa stared right into Anna's eyes in utter shock. Slowly but surely the words sank in. She suddenly threw herself in her sister's arms, screaming at the top of her lungs.

Elsa gave out one long, loud and sorrowful scream… The scream that held all the pain.

She inhaled deeply then, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Screamed again for all the loneliness she felt.

Inhaled and… "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

For all the hurt she felt.

Anna held her tightly. The mountains echoed her sorrowful screams, announcing her pain to the entire world. The citizens stared at her in shock.

Brandon and the others watched her sadly as she vented.

As for the citizens... Those screams were too familiar. They'd heard them for years and years.

Aphrodite put her hand on her mouth trying not to sob loudly.

Elsa let out one last, long cry for all the love she was deprived of.

"It's okay…" Anna soothed gently as she hugged her sister who trembled uncontrollably in her arms.

"I'm sorry… I'm s-sorry!" Elsa apologized for all the harm she had done.

Anna hugged her tightly. "You're not alone anymore, Elsa. From now on, we'll face everything together."

Anna broke the hug and smiled at her sister. She brought her thumb up and wiped away Elsa's tears. She then winced when her gravely wounded leg pained her.

Elsa's eyes widened in worry and she quickly turned to Anna's leg. She lowered her head in shame and sadness and put her hand on Anna's leg, freezing the wound, not allowing any blood to leak anymore.

Anna sighed in relief. "Thank you." She said sincerely.

"I'm sorry…" Elsa apologized for even harming her sister.

"Don't worry about it. The important thing is that I finally got_ you_ back." Anna admitted.

"But… Who… Who am I?" Elsa whispered.

A monster? A sister? A witch? A snow queen? She didn't know. So many people had called her _so_ many names.

Anna put her hands on her cheek and lifted her head to look right into her cyan eyes. "You're my sister."

Elsa smiled joyfully, tears flowing down her face. For this was the first time she got a different answer from what her father used to tell her. She then stood and helped Anna up, since the redhead couldn't stand on her wounded leg. They smiled at each other and hugged again.

Aphrodite nearly fainted from relief. She smiled at her two daughters as they hugged.

The citizens watched in astonishment.

"The princesses!" One whispered.

"They're alive!"

"How could this be?!"

"He imprisoned her!"

"She's just lying!"

The citizens were just confused on who to believe.

Aiden, Kristoff and Rapunzel rushed to the sisters' sides, smiles all over their faces.

The king gritted his teeth hard, his fists bleeding from all the clenching.

"NO!" He screamed.

Anna and Elsa broke the hug and turned to him.

"You're a monster! A monster! I order you to kill her! Kill her!" He raged, losing his composure.

The citizens watched him in shock, some glaring at him and whispering among each other at how he was acting.

"You're nothing but a FREAK! You're a murderer, Elsa! Do you hear me! Now kill her!" He yelled while pointing at Anna.

Elsa's shoulders lifted and she felt scared again. She shook her head in denial, not wanting to hurt anyone anymore.

Anna pulled Elsa behind her, shielding her from his harsh words. "She's no longer yours to harm and torture!" She yelled back at her father. "She won't listen to you ever again! The real monster isn't her… It's YOU!"

The king's eyes twitched and he was shaking in rage. He turned at the guards. "Kill them! Kill them all!" He ordered, but the guards exchanged confused looks, no longer knowing what they should really do.

"I said kill them!" His shaking finger pointed at his daughters and wife.

The guards looked over at the scared and nervous Elsa then at their king. Some of the guards threw their spears at the ground and walked to Elsa and Anna's side, leaving their other comrades to think again.

The citizens were even _more_ than confused and didn't know what or who to believe anymore and even who to trust.

The king looked around and saw all the skeptical and distrustful looks everyone was giving him.

"Fine… You all want to betray your _king_?! Betray your own kingdom!? Very well!" He slowly lifted his marked hand up and… "Now!" He shouted with a smirk.

All of a sudden some of the guards impaled their comrades with their spears and swords, a smirk on their faces.

"What the—?!" One of the guards exclaimed before he was killed by a spear through his heart.

The king laughed at everyone's shocked reaction. "You thought you could defeat me?!" He asked as he laughed manically. "I knew that Arendelle's guards were too… weak. So I hired some mercenaries in case _this_ happens." He pointed at the horrified guards who stood on Elsa's side.

He then approached the young man that Elsa had killed a while ago. "I'm pretty impressed you knew that he wasn't a real guard, Elsa." He said while smirking at Elsa who gave him a terrified look. "Nice work, I say."

"You murderer!" Anna accused. She couldn't believe that her father hired some ruthless mercenaries and ordered them to pretend to be guards, only to make them kill the real ones!

Other mercenaries suddenly appeared above them, standing on the castle's walls and aiming crossbows at everyone.

"I shall eliminate EVERYONE here, for all of you have become corrupted!" The king announced.

The citizens were horrified since the mercenaries were aiming at them as well.

"I shall cleanse this kingdom from all of you pests and start anew! I will build a new kingdom under my command! A kingdom that shall grow to be the most feared and respected among all the others!"

"You're MAD!" Anna shouted in disbelief. He was going to kill everyone! Even the citizens who trusted him!?

"A kingdom with neither cowards nor traitors!" He talked nonsense as his lip trembled in excitement. "No one moves or he or she _will_ be killed!" The king intimidated. "As for you…" He looked at Elsa.

All of a sudden Elsa gasped and her eyes widened. She collapsed to the ground, screaming and writhing in pain.

"Elsa, what's wrong?!" Anna kneeled next to her worriedly.

But Elsa only screamed louder in agony.

"What did you do?!" Anna yelled at her father and noticed the mark on his hand glowing.

Elsa was barely able to breathe as she laid there with wide eyes, twitching. She was feeling as if a thousand swords slashed and slashed continuously everywhere at her body.

The king approached her while smirking at her shaking frame.

An arrow landed right in front of Anna's leg, making her back away.

"Everyone move away from her!" One of the mercenaries shouted with a smirk.

Anna's eyes widened. "No!" She tried to shield her, but suddenly shuddered and fell to the ground, feeling dizzy as her hair turned completely white.

The king sighed then approached her. He lifted his leg and pushed her roughly out of his way. "You can't even defend yourself." He mocked. "If I were you, I would have been more concerned about what's happening to me." He looked at her frozen fingers tips and huffed.

"A-Anna…" Elsa tried to call, worriedly, but the pain was unbearable and she was barely able to move with that twitching and trembling body of hers.

"Anna!" Aphrodite and the others rushed to Anna's side. She held her freezing daughter in her arms in full concern. "What's happening?!"

The king turned at Elsa and smirked. He then put his leg on her back and put his weight on her, making her shriek in pain. His leg felt like a scorching hot metal.

"I said… what did you… _do_ to her!?" Anna shouted again, ignoring her physical state.

The king smiled proudly down at Elsa agonized expression. "I simply doubled her sensitivity to pain." He kicked her, forcing her to turn on her back.

She screamed.

"Stop it!" Aphrodite begged.

Why was it always them who needed to suffer?

_Why?_ Elsa thought while writhing in pain.

The king then put his leg on Elsa's stomach where he once stabbed her, putting all his weight again on the wound.

Elsa's eyes widened and she screamed louder in agony as she scratched at his leg, trying desperately to push it off, tears running down at the side of her face.

Frost formed on the king's leg.

Why was it always _him_ who gave them pain?

_Why?!_

The citizens watched horrified as they witnessed the merciless and sadistic torture their king was inflicting.

The king leaned down and put his arm on his knee. "I will put them all in cells and torture everyone you love in front of you. Then… I'll slit their throat and make you drink their blood." He ranted psychotically. "I don't understand why you won't listen and obey me. Haven't you learned already? You're _nothing_… A filthy freak who can't even control the curse she was born with."

_WHY!?_

He leaned further down, staring right at her teary, wide eyes. "You will always. Be. A monster. And…. _Nothing_… else."

"WHYYYYYYY!?" A gust of cold air and snow exploded when she screamed, forcing the king to stagger backwards and fall on the ground.

The king was completely taken aback as he stared at her in shock.

Elsa slowly and shakily stood, everyone watching her in surprise. She lifted her head and the king was completely astonished.

Elsa glared at him with those dead-serious eyes for the first time in her entire life as she breathed heavily from the pain.

Her eyes… They weren't those crazy wide eyes that wanted to kill. They weren't those frightened and petrified eyes that she always gave him.

No.

Those eyes were completely foreign to him.

He smirked, "So you're finally choosing to really face me?!" He laughed and stood up, showing her the glowing mark on his palm. "I'm the strongest one here, daughter of mine!"

Elsa calmly looked down at her shaking hand, then at the mark on his hand. "Then you've left me no choice." She coldly said before her hand started glowing as she formed an ice ball that shone brighter and brighter.

The king smirked. "You think that'll scare me?!" He huffed.

Elsa gave Anna one last look and smiled.

Anna somehow felt uneasy.

And that only made her feel worse when Elsa mouthed…

_I'm sorry…_

Before anyone knew it, Elsa pressed the ice ball on her chest, freezing her heart.

Everyone's eyes widened in complete shock and bewilderment.

"What?!" The king shouted in surprise, expecting that she was going to send it towards him.

**NOTE: The 'thoughts' in bold/italic are Elsa's and the thoughts.**

Elsa fell to her knees and hands, trembling in pain.

_**Thud-thud **_

She could hear her heart beating.

_**You hurt me.**_ Elsa thought.

Black smoke started coming out of her skin and a snow storm started forming.

_**You hurt my mother.**_

Aphrodite watched and feared the worst.

_**Thud-thud. . .Thud-thud**_

_**You hurt my sister. **_

"Anna! Your hair!" Kristoff said in relief, pointing at her head.

Anna felt the coldness slip away as she looked at her pigtails and realized that her hair was turning back to strawberry-blonde.

Rapunzel's eyes widened when she realized the blue rose was slowly turning black.

Four majestic ice pillars shot from the ground, growing taller and taller and taller, surrounding Elsa and forcing the ground to shake.

_**My friends…**_Images of smiling Rapunzel, Aiden, Flynn, Bulda, Brandon, Zoey flashed in front of her.

_**My home…**_Then thought the frozen and ruined Arendelle.

_**Thud-thud. Thud-thud. **_Her heartbeat raced and got even louder as the blood pumped in her ears. A small point on her chest was glowing cyan before suddenly, a mark formed.

_**My people…**_

The king gritted his teeth. That mark… It was a familiar one. He'd seen it before.

The king looked at his palm and felt relieved that his mark was still way bigger than the one on her chest. But before he could puff up in pride, he found himself speechless when the mark on Elsa's chest started to spread.

_**You've only brought misery to everyone I love…**_

Elsa screamed hard and squeezed her eyes shut in pain as dark lines started crawling around her body, forming strange-looking marks.

_**Thud-thud. Thud-thud. Thud-thud. Thud-thud.**_

They crawled and burned her skin, emitting black smoke as they moved on her chest… Her neck… her shoulders… her arms… her legs… All the way towards her face.

_**Brought Hatred…**_

Her screams were abnormal as they were accompanied by multiple unsettling voices. Some strands of her hair started changing color as they went from platinum to teal.

_**Anger…**_

Everyone was barely able to struggle against the strong snow storm.

_**Thud-thud. Thud-thud. Thudthudthudthudthudthudthud…!**_

The snowstorm blew while the black smoke surrounded her like fire.

_**Fear!**_

Elsa screamed one long last time, the wind sending some of the people back and making them stumble to the ground, before it all died down, leaving everyone speechless.

_**Pain!**_

When the fog cleared. Everyone watched Elsa in shock as she calmly stood between the four pillars and slowly opened her eyes, black smoke coming out of them.

_**And Despair.**_

The king staggered back in fear as she looked straight at him. "What… in the hell…"

For the white in Elsa's eyes was all black, her pupils thin as a fox's, and her irises glowing bright cyan, betraying all signs of humane mentality.

_**So for that I will stop you.**_

* * *

**HELLLLL YEAAAAAAAH! I've been waiting for this like…EVER!**

**If you wanna know how Elsa looks. I drew an art of her and you can see it on my deviant art Lany19.**

**And to add all the action and epic atmosphere, (lol) you can hear the music ( See What I've Become – Zack hemsey ) and Elsa opens her eyes at 0:38**

**Okay… next chap will be…THE FINAAAAAAAAAAAAL CHAP!**

**Or probably not :P It depends.**

**Please leave a review if you liked how the confrontation ended up and everything.**

**Well… PEACE! I'm out!**


	57. Elsa of Arendelle

The Ice Behind Bars  
Chapter LVII: Elsa of Arendelle

Anna sat there on the cold ice agape. "Elsa…?" She couldn't recognize her sister anymore with that vicious appearance.

Grey clouds gathered as it slowly started to rain.

Everyone was utterly speechless. They couldn't help but stare in horror at what Elsa had become.

Elsa looked over at Anna and the latter couldn't help but feel anxious. Elsa then calmly walked towards her, ignoring everyone's horrified eyes.

The king gasped and quickly crawled backwards away from her, allowing her to pass.

Each step she made emitted cold and dark smoke, turning the ice underneath her darker.

Anna's heart beat faster the more her sister approached. But was it in fear?

Elsa then stood right above her, staring down at her with those inhuman eyes. She then knelt to Anna's eye level. She grabbed the iced dagger that she had wanted to use to kill her sister and held it up for Anna.

Anna stared at the dagger in confusion then at Elsa. She felt utterly relieved when she saw Elsa smiling at her. It wasn't a sadistic smile. No it was sweet… gentle… sincere.

"I want you to keep this with you." Elsa said.

Anna slowly took the dagger in her hands.

"It will keep you safe from all harm." Elsa continued and looked away for a moment before she looked back at Anna. "Just remember…" She put her forehead on Anna's, "No matter what happens… You'll always be my little sister."

One of the mercenaries gritted his teeth and pointed his crossbow at the two sisters then sent the arrow flying.

"NO!" Aphrodite shouted; her up in the air.

Elsa suddenly turned and stopped it by simply grabbing it with her hand; the tip of the arrow inches away from her dead-serious face.

The mercenary gulped and utterly regretted his move.

The arrow in Elsa's hand started to freeze.

Elsa then slowly stood, turned the arrow around with her slender fingers… and the mercenary knew what was coming.

"No… No!" He shouted fearfully, backing away.

Elsa threw the frozen arrow with her bare hands and it went flying with what looked like almost the speed of light.

The arrow pierced the man's heart before he could blink, forcing his body to come smashing with the courtyard walls. Ice spikes exploded from inside his body, revealing his blood to everyone in witness.

"This… T-This can't be!" The king exclaimed fearfully. "You didn't have the mark anywhere on your body! I had always checked!"

Elsa glared at him and opened her mouth to speak. "The mark was never on my skin." She put her hand on her chest. "It was on my heart."

"How… How is it that you have such power!?" The king snarled.

Elsa lifted her arm, showing the black smoke coming out of her skin. "This power is created by sealing souls inside it." She looked at his shaking palm where the mark shone.

"Like hell you know anything!" The king gritted his teeth.

"The same goes for Mad, but I made sure to set those souls free."

The king remembered the day Mad showed him his chopped off frozen hand. The king's eyes widened slowly in realization. "Mad… had the mark? Then why would he even use these souls on me?!"

"To Mad… humans are nothing but puppets. You were nothing but a rat to him."

"Shut up!"

"Every other soul that you have tortured to death resides inside me. I lived the same life they did. I feel their pain… regret… despair… shame… I know their hopes… their dreams… their wishes." Ice formed in her hand spreading from each side until it created a two-sided spear. With a swift move, Elsa held the spear and readied herself. "And all of them wish _you_ dead."

"Kill her! KILL HER!" The King pointed at her with a shaking finger. "KILL THEM ALL!"

The mercenary charged, each one of them smirking sadistically.

Elsa calmly kept walking towards her father and simply lifted her hand to the side, summoning a what-seemed-like a monstrous wave of ice spikes that came crashing with four of the mercenaries, killing each one of them and sending blood everywhere. The echoes of their screams surrounded the mountains.

Another mercenary rushed at her.

She easily dodged and slashed with her ice spear, cutting the man's throat.

"Kill her!" One of the mercenaries yelled.

Elsa all of a sudden disappeared and reappeared behind two of the mercenaries, cutting them with her spear with one swing.

"She's fast!" One of the mercenary warned as he looked around quickly.

Elsa continued walking calmly towards the king before she hit the ground with her spear. An ice spike came from under one of the mercenaries, impaling him as if the spear just went underground then back up.

Another man charged at her and she quickly dodged it and swung her spear, only for the mercenary to smirk and jump back. But before he could even land on the ground, the spear grew taller.

Elsa swung and decapitated him.

Her face was dead serious yet calm as she killed every mercenary without any hesitation.

The king started backing away as he shook. "Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!" He desperately ordered before he looked at the glowing mark on his hand. He gritted his teeth in anger then looked at Anna and the others.

He smirked.

While Elsa was busy eliminating the merciless and sadistic mercenaries, the king lifted his palm and the mark started glowing stronger.

All of a sudden one of the majestic pillars that Elsa had summoned before, was cut from the bottom, sending it swaying towards Anna, Aphrodite and the citizens of Arendelle.

"Move away!" Anna shouted.

The citizens screamed in fear and started sprinting away from the falling pillar, pushing each other in panic.

Anna turned as she heard a mother's plea.

"My baby!"

Elsa looked over at the little girl.

A little girl stumbled and fell to the ground and screamed in fear when she saw the huge pillar falling towards her.

Anna rushed to help, but she grimaced in pain and fell to the ground because of her injured leg.

So she was too late.

The pillar hit the ground, sending a powerful gust of wind and fog everywhere.

Anna slowly opened her eyes and couldn't feel any happier as she witnessed Elsa standing on top of the fallen pillar while holding the little girl in her arms, unscathed.

"It's alright… You can open your eyes now." The little girl heard a firm yet somehow soothing voice.

The little girl slowly opened her eyes and stared at her hero in awe.

"Abigail!" The little girl heard her mother's call.

A woman rushed towards Elsa.

Elsa then handed the little girl to her mother.

"Thank you!... T-Thank you!" The woman sincerely said as she cried and hugged her daughter.

Anna smiled in relief, the rain now soaking her hair and clothes.

Elsa kept glaring at her father as he glared back. "That's enough." She lifted her hand up towards the sky and all of a sudden ice spikes shot up towards the clouds, roaring before they bent like spider legs and rushed towards every mercenary, piercing them and leaving none alive.

From Anna's and the citizens' view, it looked like an ice spider just stomped on every mercenary.

Elsa then descended the fallen pillar and started walking towards her father.

The king gasped and started crawling away, realizing that he was alone and with no one to save him. "Stay away!" He lifted his marked palm but before he could react, Elsa suddenly appeared next to him, swinging her spear and chopping his hand off.

The king screamed in agony as he fell to the pool of blood, staring at his stray twitching hand.

Elsa grabbed him by the collar and forced him to look into her eyes.

The king's lip trembled as he stared at those demonic eyes before suddenly flashes and images of himself torturing… Himself?— No. He was seeing through the eyes of those he had tortured and killed; witnessing their painful memories.

He started screaming in pain as if he was living their torture in the dungeons again.

Elsa let him go and he fell to the floor squirming and scratching at his eyes, realizing that he was blind.

"This is for Flynn." Elsa said before she swung her spear, chopping her father's leg off.

The king's screams echoed as he withered on the ground. "P-Please!... H-H-Have mercy!"

"This is for the people of Arendelle." Elsa coldly chopped his other leg, forcing him to shriek in agony.

Anna winced and looked away along many others.

The king started to sob in pain, his entire frame shaking. "P-Please!... Please! I'm begging you!" He desperately tried to reason. "Don't kill me! P-Please don't… kill me! I don't wanna die!" He scratched at her arm as she grabbed him from his collar, glaring aggressively at him.

"This is for my mother!" She yelled before an ice spike came from underneath him, impaling his stomach, and splashing blood on Elsa's face and body.

"P-… P-Plea… sto—" He muttered.

"This is for Anna!" She brought her sword down and stabbed his chest.

He coughed huge amount of blood and stopped squirming.

"This is for torturing me!" She pulled the sword out then stabbed him again.

"This is for lying to me!" And again.

"For whipping me!" And again.

"For hurting me!" She kept stabbing him again and again and again, even though he was already dead.

She no longer cared who was watching her. She kept stabbing him and stabbing him as she screamed, letting all her anger out on him.

Everyone watched her in shock as she vented.

"Elsa…" Aphrodite lowered her head, not being able to see her daughter this way.

After a moment, Elsa finally stopped. Everyone stayed silent, listening to her heavy breathing.

Elsa shakily stood and took a few unbalanced steps back, before she fell to her knees staring at her bloody trembling hands.

She could feel her vision blurring. Somehow she smiled. _It's… _She thought before she winced from a headache.

Anna slowly approached her. "Elsa…?"

Elsa slowly turned to her sister, tears going down her face as she smiled at her in relief. "It's over…"

Anna smiled back, seeing that it was just her sister, despite the appearance.

Elsa stood then opened her arms wide, inviting Anna to finally hug her.

Anna gasped happily then sprinted towards her.

She was a few steps away from her sister when suddenly to her utter shock, Elsa grabbed her hand… the hand that held the dagger that Elsa had given her… and forced Anna's hand towards her pale chest, piercing her heart, and hugging Anna along the way.

**For full effect of feels put on this song and read ;)  
/watch?v=AeVyvwThCd8  
**

Everyone's eyes were wide in horror as they witnessed Elsa force her sister to stab her.

Anna's eyes stared into nowhere as her jaw stayed slightly open in shock. Her lip trembled and all she was able to say...

"H-Huh?" In utter confusion.

Elsa held Anna tightly in a hug, trying to ignore the sharp pain in her chest. She lifted her hand shakily and started caressing Anna's head. "It's alright… You'll… be safe now…" She soothed.

Anna felt tears run down her cheeks but she just wasn't able to sob. She was too shocked. Too confused.

Elsa smiled. "Please… Forgive me… but I had no choice."

Anna was frozen like a statue; her hand still holding the dagger impaling her sister's chest.

"There's always a cost…" Elsa continued. "For such power…" She winced. "Soon… i-it will take… my memories away. I will… forget who I am… w-why I'm here… and who you and all the people I love are."

Anna slowly started shaking her head in denial. Elsa just didn't do this… Elsa just didn't do this! She didn't just make her stab her! She didn't!

"It will… make me… a monster. I will… forget all my dreams… all my hopes… and s-soon this darkness will consume me… and I will try to kill everyone…" Elsa coughed big amount of blood and her legs wobbled, making her fall, but Anna held her tightly in the hug before she could hit the ground.

"W-… W-What are you saying?" Anna whispered, unable to control her tears and that big lump in her throat.

Tears started coming down Elsa's cheeks but she kept smiling. "I wanted… everyone… s-safe… And Arendelle… safe… I promised… to protect you…"

The citizens listened to her every word; every one of them completely stunned and speechless.

"Stop it!" Anna sobbed loudly, shaking as she held her dying sister. "D-Don't leave me…!"

Elsa kept smiling. "Rebuild the home that I've destroyed, Anna. L-Live… on… Don't stop… dreaming… like I once did."

Anna could feel Elsa's body slowly going limp, but she held tighter and tighter.

"Know that… I've always loved you… and mama… and not once… have I stopped." The blood from her mouth leaked down all the way towards her neck. She could no longer feel her legs as the marks slowly faded from her skin, her left eye going back to its normal state.

Elsa knew she didn't have much time as she started losing her eyesight. "Anna… Just know… that I haven't survived all this time… j-just because my body endured it all… I survived… because you've always been… on my mind."

Anna gritted her teeth, trying hard not to scream. She knew she couldn't do anything anymore. She knew her sister was at the verge of death. So she wanted to make sure Elsa heard those words no matter how painful it would be to say them. "Elsa, listen to me! I love you! I love you! You're not a monster! You're my sister!" Anna sobbed, knowing they were the words of goodbye.

"You've always made my life happier! You've always made me smile and laugh!" If only she had more time, she would have said so much more. "Do you hear me!? Remember that!" Anna was sobbing uncontrollably. She just wanted to at least let Elsa die with a smile on her face. "You are loved! You are amazing! You are beautiful! Everyone forgives you! I messed up so many times but you were always there for me!" Her heart stopped when she felt Elsa's body go completely limp.

And she knew… at that moment… that Elsa was gone.

But no… She just couldn't help but continue as she screamed…

"You'll always be my big sister! You've always tried to do what's best for me!" She kept talking to her, trying to deny that she was dead. "You were never a freak or a demon! You're my best friend! I'm sorry I couldn't save you before! I'm sorry I was too stupid!" She kept going on even though she knew that Elsa could no longer hear.

The sky cried sorrowfully as it rained.

"He was wrong! You were never a bad person! You are the princess! The brave princess of Arendelle! _She_ even said you'll be queen one day! A hero!" Anna fell to her knees, shaking terribly while holding Elsa's body in her arms.

"_My_ hero…" Anna whispered before she buried her face in Elsa's shoulder, sobbing, wailing and grieving hysterically.

Aphrodite buried her face in her hands as she cried. Brandon quickly held her in his arms watching the sisters silently and sadly. He gritted his teeth trying not to tear up.

Rapunzel fell to her knees, a hand on her mouth, trying not to sob.

Everyone watched in utter silence as they all lowered their heads, mourning the princess.

Anna slowly leaned back then put her forehead on her dead sister's.

"I-I'll always love you… Elsa of Arendelle."

* * *

**I drew this scene and put it on my deviant art if you wanna see. My deviantart: Lany19**

**One more chap...**


	58. Author Note : Need Your Opinion

**Your Opinion**

**Okay readers… I know you've been waiting for a tibb ending but I'm having a huge dilemma on what to actually do. xD**

**The problems is that I already have another story in the works which most of you already know about and that it will be called **_Children of The Plague_** which is a frozen au and you can read and see what's it about on my deviant art. Now I have BIG plans for this story so don't underestimate it as just "another frozen fanfic from lany19" I've worked hard on it just like I did for TIBB.**

**Another problem is that I'm thinking of a The Ice Behind Bars sequel but the thing is that IF I actually write a sequel then I'll have to alter the original Ice Behind Bars ending. The original ending will be a closure and a resolution to the story. Happy ending as promised. ;)**

**As for the other thing… I will have to change the ending of TIBB and make it a HUGE….HUGE cliffhanger xD (sorry for that you already know my style of teasing cliffhangers.) WHICH will lead to a sequel. A pretty good sequel in my opinion cause I actually hate sequels cause they always fail. So for me to actually be excited for a sequel….it's a huge thing xD**

**So guys… I've put up a poll in my profile page and you'll be able to vote on what you want so I can know what to do or what to write :)**

**1\. TIBB sequel. (which alters the last chapter and ending)**

**2\. Finish TIBB as its original idea and start **_Children Of The Plague_**.**

**Lany**

**OUT!**


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